photo by: Jeff Burkhead/Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center

Maren Ludwig, development director of O’Connell Children’s Shelter, and guests, Donna Kinley, Audra Fussell, and Emily Farley, enjoy the festive atmosphere of the auction party at Festival of Trees.

At its 38th annual Festival of Trees Gala fundraiser earlier this month, the O’Connell Children’s Shelter raised a record-breaking $250,000 to support children and families in need.

The gala has been around since 1986 and involves Douglas County businesses, clubs, children’s groups, families and organizations donating decorated Christmas trees and wreaths to be exhibited. This year’s event was on Dec. 6, had over 400 attendees and brought in $30,000 more than the previous year did.

Those funds will support the children’s shelter’s dedicated staff, residential programs and new family crisis prevention services, which serve and support children, youth and families in Douglas County and around the state.

photo by: Jeff Burkhead/Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center

Gina Meier-Hummel, executive director of O’Connell Children’s Shelter, and Jim O’Connell, son of Mrs. O’Connell, the original donor of land where the ranch property sits.

“Our agency was founded to be an answer for youth who were in crisis,” Development Director Maren Ludwig said in an email to the Journal-World. ” … We have five residential group homes that serve as a place of stability and safety for teenage foster youth and for youth in our community experiencing a crisis, whether that be (family), behavioral, or life circumstances.”

Ludwig added that the organization can help youth become active and contributing members to the community.

“Our prevention programs are working to support families at-risk of system involvement, basically, working upstream to keep families together,” Ludwig said via email.

Some of this year’s trees had traditional themes like “Twelve Days of Christmas” or “Nutcracker,” but there were also some unique trees, like one decorated with charcuterie board staples and another made out of reusable Target shopping bags. Ludwig said over 60 trees, 20 wreaths and several holiday displays were donated by different members of the community and displayed at Maceli’s downtown.

photo by: Maren Ludwig/O’Connell Children’s Shelter

Charcu-tree, donated by Erin Maigaard and Ashley Zeller.

“These items were on display over the course of 10 days, and more than 3,000 people came to experience the holiday wonderland set up at Maceli’s,” Ludwig said via email.

The event also honored longstanding O’Connell Children’s Shelter board member Wint Winter with the Hank Booth Unsung Hero Award, named after Lawrence broadcast personality Hank Booth, who died in 2023.

Ludwig said that the organization is still fundraising in hope of collecting an additional $20,000 by the end of the year. Those interested in donating can contribute at https://onecau.se/ocs-eoy.

“We have some exciting projects coming in the new year as we look to continue to expand our prevention services to other areas of our community and continue to grow the programming for our residential youth,” Ludwig said.

photo by: Maren Ludwig/O’Connell Children’s Shelter

Tote-Tastic Tree, donated by Maggie Sparke, Kacie Kneidel, & Justin Lohrmeyer.