The Festival of Treason Res kicked off the holiday season in Durango and Cortez. The annual tradition sponsored by Alpine Bank raises money for community connections into our own lives, to nonprofit organizations that support people with disabilities. In Southwest Colorado, you are watching the Local News Network, brought to you by the FLC Center for Innovation and Riker's Ace Hardware. I am Sadie Smith. This year marks 22 years of the Festival of Treason Durango, and six years of the Festival of Reuse and Cortez.

So Festival of Trees, as it originated, was over 20 years ago. I think we're on our 22nd year now. Started out at the La Plata County Fairgrounds and was an idea that one of our Community Connections staff brought to us from another community. They have similar events across the country, and we didn't have one here yet.

The public was able to view the treason res vote for their favorites and bid in an online auction on a variety of holiday gifts between sponsor displays and donated items. More than 100 businesses, families, and organizations contributed to make the event possible.

The businesses, organizations, even private individuals and families who sponsor the trees and reeds through the Festival of Trees and Reeds, they are all contributing, you know, their artistry, their vision, and they also give financially to support the fundraiser because it is a fundraiser for community connections and our own lives. So each of the sponsors comes up with their idea for a wreath or a tree, and it generally has glorious decorations, prizes, and we have some of them at the Durango, Silverton Roge Railroad in Durango. And then there's a whole nother set of wreaths out in Cortez at the Cortez area Chamber of Commerce.

All proceeds from the events support the mission of both organizations in helping people with disabilities live independently and fully in the community. The two nonprofits work together to serve people in different ways.

So both community connections and our own lives are serving people with disabilities in some different ways. So Community Connections is the case management organization for this region. So we're helping people figure out what are their goals, what are they trying to achieve, what are some of the services that they need, and then we're helping connect them with those services across the five counties. Our own lives is the provider for some of those services, so we send a lot of referrals to our own lives, and they're the ones that are actually, you know, helping people get jobs, getting them out into the community, helping people find a place to live. Live as independently as they choose.

Additional details can be found on the Festival of Trees and Reeds website. For more information about this and other stories, visit Durango Local News. Thank you for watching this edition of The Local News Network. I am Sadie Smith.