Trees of Cheer raises over $5,000, decorates trees for families in need
Lewes community members came together for the fourth annual Trees of Cheer event Dec. 1, to raise more than $5,000 for the Ronald McDonald House and decorate 88 Christmas trees for local families in need.
The event, hosted at the Beacon Inn by Chelsea Bristow, Realtor of the Carrie Lingo Team, enabled locals young and old to spread holiday cheer by picking out a small Christmas tree to decorate. Half of the decorated trees will be donated to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, while the other half will go to Cape Henlopen School District families.
This year’s event raised about $2,000 more for the Ronald McDonald House than last year’s event.
Not only did the event help to teach kids acts of service and to spread holiday cheer, but it also helped to educate families of Sussex County, Bristow said. The county is home to 18% of people benefiting from the Ronald McDonald House, a number many residents are not aware of, Bristow said.
Santa, Mrs. Claus and even the Grinch attended.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s in journalism from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, after which she completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she traveled to New Zealand to cover the Women’s World Cup as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets like The Washington Post and FOX Sports. She also has a variety of other reporting experience, covering crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware, native, she’s happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
