Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Wasatch Counties is getting into the spirit of the season with a holiday tree auction to help people lay down some roots in new homes.

The online auction, which starts at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, and runs through 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, at habitat-utah.org, will feature 12 trees decorated by supporter families, businesses, church groups and other organizations, said Executive Director Shellie Barrus.

“People can sign up with us on our website to get on a list that will let them know when the auction goes live,” she said. 

---

---

Decorators include: 

The volunteers are coming up with some fun twists, and we can’t wait to see what they will come up with…” Shellie Barrus Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Wasatch Counties executive director

• The Adams Family 
• America First Credit Union, Park City branch
• BNI Impact
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Young Women’s Group
• Country Gardens and Nursery
• Eleganté
• KPCW
• The Monk Family
• Park City Rotary

Habitat staff went through its contact list to find volunteer decorators, according to Barrus.

---

---

“One family of donors wanted to help their daughter understand why they support Habitat financially,” she said. “We also reached out to our business and church connections in the community, and we feel we’ve had a great response for a first-time event.”

The auction initially planned to include a decorated Menorah, but that fell through at the last minute, Barrus said.

“We are working on that for next year, because we want to involve the whole community,” she said.

Decorators will meet at Habitat’s ReStore, a home-improvement thrift store, at 6280 N. Silver Creek Rd. in Silver Summit, over the weekend to review the plans for the trees, according to Barrus.

“Our vision is that the trees will be in place and on display at the ReStore, so people will get to come in, look at them and be inspired to bid,” she said. “The volunteers are coming up with some fun twists, and we can’t wait to see what they will come up with.”

Funds from the auction will benefit Habitat’s current project of building 14 townhomes in Silver Creek Village, Barrus said.

“This is our most ambitious project in our over 30 years of serving Summit and Wasatch counties,” she said. “All the units are under construction now and we’re excited to see them go vertical. We are looking forward to seeing 14 families get into affordable and great places to live.”That sentiment led to the auction’s theme, “Celebrate Home,” according to Barrus.

“We are excited to say that we helped put two families in homes in the last year, so the theme is meant to shine the spotlight on the idea that these families will be celebrating their first holiday in their new homes,” she said.

This first annual holiday tree auction is a small dream come true for Barrus.

“I always thought it would be a fun thing to do,” she said. “Our big fundraiser, the Overall Ball, used to be held in the fall but now it’s in the summer. So, I felt the time was right for us to finally do something in the fall that would be fun.”

Hosting the auction just before Thanksgiving also adds another layer to the meaning of being “Home for the Holidays,” Barrus said.

“I’ve always loved the holidays and Christmas, and I’ve always loved decorating,” she said. “At the ReStore, we get so many amazing donated holiday stuff, so I thought it would be a great event.”