Family tradition took Erika Bergstrom, a West Seattle veterinarian, away from the animals to spend a long day and evening enjoying the Christmas tradition of her boyfriend, Michael Master’s family. Each year, Michael, his parents Robin and Mike and his brother Ryan set out to visit all the great things downtown Seattle has to offer in the way of Christmas tradition.

This year led to an after-Christmas gift when Bergstrom and her family won Providence O’Christmas Trees’ Tour of Tree contest, which Ryan learned about from an article he read. They found all seven trees scattered throughout downtown Seattle, made sure to have their Tour of Trees Passports stamped, and turned in the Passport for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Pacific Place.

It capped off a tradition that goes back more than 20 years. Each Christmas season, the family sets aside a day to head downtown and “Do Christmas.” Bergstrom joined in this family tradition last year and looked forward to spending this special day with the Masters family again this season.

The 2009 Providence Tour of Trees included seven uniquely decorated Christmas trees on display at hotels and retail establishments in the downtown Seattle retail core. Beginning on Nov. 28, 2009, and continuing through the holiday season, the public was invited to visit each of them, then enter the contest. Funds raised through the sale of the trees to the retailers benefit Providence Senior and Community Services, serving those in need through healthcare, housing and hospice.

Bergstrom and the rest of the group set out on foot with their Passports, hitting all the tour locations but two. At the end of the evening, they drove to the last two, including El Gaucho restaurant, where they concluded their tour at 11:30 p.m. Bergstrom joked that she had never won a contest, so she feared her entry would be jinxed. But they entered anyway.

Bergstrom said she is “shocked and thrilled to hold the winning entry.” She and Michael Masters received two $500 gift cards to Pacific Place. Overwhelmed and not sure how to spend their windfall, they have opted to wait until spring for their shopping spree. In the meantime, each time Bergstrom travels the three blocks between Providence Mount St. Vincent skilled nursing home and her West Seattle home, she remembers that special day in December. The top selling tree at the Dec. 2 O’Christmas Trees fundraising gala - “Under the Big Top” by designer Lisa Wise of Wise2Design – sold for $40,000. Seattle developer David Sabey and businessman Tom DuBrul joined to buy the tree, which was packed with clowns, circus animals and topped with a Big Top tent. They donated it for display at Providence Mount St. Vincent. After the holiday season, all the toys on the tree were donated to needy children.

Not only was it fun to participate and even better to win, for Bergstrom it was great to share in a family tradition and to learn that the contest was supporting Providence, an organization that serves people right in her own neighborhood.

About Providence O’Christmas Trees:
This premier gala event is Providence Health & Services’ Senior and Community Services’ largest annual fundraiser. Funds raised benefit the poor, sick and vulnerable served through healthcare, housing and hospice. The 2009 O'Christmas Trees events raised $1 million for the following programs: Providence ElderPlace, Heritage House at the Market, Providence Hospice of Seattle, Providence Home Services, Providence Marianwood, Providence Infusion and Pharmacy Services, Providence Housing, and Providence Mount St. Vincent. All are available to residents of King County and elsewhere in Western Washington. Visit www.providence.org/otrees to learn more.