December 15, 2006

Valle Monte League adds dazzle to the holidays with ‘Christmas Tree Elegance’

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

With a week of spectacular events held at the DoubleTree Hotel, Valle Monte League rang in the holiday season with good cheer and great generosity. Marking its 39th year of Christmas Tree Elegance, the organization, which financially assists mental health agencies, hopes to garner $460,000 in 2006; adding to the $7.5 million they’ve previously raised.

Stunning fashions and professional models delight the crowd. Photos by Lorraine Gabbert

Following this year’s theme, “Holiday’s Remem-bered,” events ranging from a champagne brunch to fashion shows produced by Macy’s, a grand ball and trees richly decorated to create a glistening winter wonderland. From the extraordinary Christmas trees encircled by extravagant gifts to the garland-wrapped staircases and topiary reindeer centerpieces, the detailed decor created experiences to savor.

“I think this event gets even better every year,” says Monica Farnsworth, who has attended Valle Monte League’s Christmas Tree Elegance since she was a little girl, and now brings her own daughter. “Just walking into the room is spectacular with the trees and the lights and table decorations. It’s so festive and a great way to kick off the season.”

The trees
Christmas Tree Elegance earned its name through its professionally and creatively designed Christmas trees. With whimsical names like “Santa’s Spoils,” “Holiday Magic,” and “Yuletide Yummy,” these creative wonders drew the eye and raised funds for Valley Monte League through raffle tickets.

“Golden Memories,” the Grand Ball Live Auction Tree designed by Almaden Valley’s Bloomster’s, featured 1.5-carat diamond earrings by Joe Escobar Diamonds as well as a luxury cruise to Alaska, courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“A Vintage Noel,” designed by Libby Brost, featured jellybeans in old-fashioned glass jars and snowglobes, as well as ballet and theater tickets, champagne on ice and Pearls by Yoko.

Members’ children and grandchildren steal the show.

Macy’s Tree, “A Simple Time,” designed by Ed Narcisso and Jerry Beaulieu, was a crowd favorite with its animated polar bears and penguins, nutcracker, phonograph, antique cars and hand-tinted cards.

Beneath “Sweets and Treats from the North Pole,” designed by Cindie Candau, could be found everything a child could desire, from teddy bears, a doll house, rocking horse and games, to snow boards and bicycles.

The fashion
With multi-media effects, themes like Park Avenue and Bohemian Luxe, and clothes by designers such as Ralph Lauren and Versace, the stunning fashions and professional models delighted the crowd. But, it was the members’ children and grandchildren, in the guise of toys during the Babes in Toyland vignette, who stole the show.

“Everybody’s so happy with the styles and the production,” said Valle Monte League’s past president and director of public relations, Barbara Campisi. “It was just beautiful.”

Fashion show producer and director Natalie Smith enjoys working with the Valle Monte League. “Macy’s and I have a long-standing relationship with them,” she says, “and this is truly one of my favorite events. The work they do in the community is vital and touching, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Smith credits amazing teamwork with creating the exhilarating fashion shows. “I have a wonderful team of people who help put this on,” she says. In addition to her colleagues at Macy’s, Smith believes that Stylist Nini Izumi is absolutely brilliant. “His eye is impeccable,” she says, and appreciates the cutting edge work of Island Creative Management. “I never have to worry when I do a show with them,” she adds, “their sets, staging and lighting are amazing.”

Spectacular Christmas trees set the events aglow with holiday cheer.

However, according to Smith, in the end it is the models who make or break a show. “We could go to all the effort with the technical aspects, but it’s the talent wearing the clothes that makes everything come alive on that runway,” she says, “and when you add all that together, the whole is something extraordinary.”

Guests Pam Martin and Mary Jane Filice agree. “Macy’s puts on a consistently good fashion show with great music and style,” says Martin. “The children are adorable,” adds Filice. “The show’s fantastic. I’ve been coming for a long, long time.”

Guest Nancy Freeman found the clothes lovely and wearable and the children very sweet. “This fashion show’s always beautifully staged,” she says, “and like a trip to New York without going to New York.”

The Valle Monte Story
Valle Monte League was started in 1950 by wives of board members of a small mental health sanitarium in Los Gatos called Tre Monte Foundation. Realizing that the struggling facility was in need, the women formed a fund-raising organization called the Tre Monte Auxiliary. When the Tre Monte sanitarium closed its doors in 1954, the auxiliary elected to continue its support of mental health agencies under their new name, Valle Monte League, and through its annual Christmas Tree Elegance events, provides financial assistance to Family & Children Services, John XXIII Senior Center, The Centre for Living with Dying and the Alzheimer’s Activity Center.

Monica Farnsworth with daughter Wendy: “Just walking into the room is spectacular with the tree and the lights and table decorations,” says Monica Farnsworth. “It’s so festive and a great way to kick off the season.”

“We are honored to have the continued support of our guests, donors, sponsors and underwriters,” said co-chairman Willy Brown and Linda Pfahni, “which enables Valle Monte League to assist our four charities in their efforts to reach out to that child, senior, or family in need, so that all our community may have holidays to remember.”

For Valle Monte League member Alice Chi, Christmas Tree Elegance is a great way to start the Christmas season. “All of these people are volunteers who donate their money, time and energy to the organization,” says Chi. “They are wonderful women with big hearts and the work they do for these mental health agencies is invaluable.”