Community Christmas Tree-Funding Effort Begins in Discovery Bay with Opportunity to Sponsor an Ornament

A “Fund the D.B. Holiday Tree” effort has begun in Discovery Bay, as organizers hope to bring a traditional Christmas tree to the community in time for the holiday season, just 8 weeks away. The lighted tree location sat dark in 2020, as the former set up is in disrepair. That “set up” was simply lights extending from the shopping center flagpole in the shape of a tree.

Uptown Trends has a storefront in the Discovery Bay Shopping Center that faces the square that the tree usually lights up each December. Owner, Lisa Combs, shared “It made me sad to see it dark out there. It’s just wrong not to have a community Christmas tree.” This motivated her to reach out to others in the community, including Rita Caruso (Discovery Bay Lions Club vice-president), and Amanda Dove (Parade of Lights founder/director and Delta Leos Club Advisor). Together they gathered project start-up funding and brainstormed a series of fundraisers to make the tree happen in time.

The quest to fund an approximately $15,000 traditional community tree begins with an opportunity for locals to sponsor a giant ornament, customized to any family or business and placed on the tree each year. Only 100 ornaments are planned to be released, as ornaments will also be stored with the tree and space is limited.

Each ornament will be identified in the Delta Sun Times Lighted Parades edition, along with follow-ups from the additional fundraisers planned: A BINGO night, a Guiding Light Sponsorship plaque for major donors, and high on the walls inside Uptown Trends, string lights will hang cards identifying small donations that visitors clip to the string.

The Delta Leos Club will take financial ownership of the project, as a 501c3 charitable organization they offer transparent reporting and have access to special pricing, and their teenage membership provides a small army of helpers.

To reserve your ornament, just visit the Parade of Lights * Tree Lighting Registration page, where the ornament fundraiser has been added. https://tinyurl.com/v3x4tner

Discovery Bay Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place Saturday, December 4th.

This year’s decorating theme is “Back to the Future!” The parade rolls from the Discovery Bay Marina at 6:00 PM sharp and concludes at the Discovery Bay Shopping Center (Discovery Bay Blvd @ Riverlake Rd) where the tree lighting ceremony and parade awards takes place at 8:-00 PM. Parade registration is open and vendor spaces are available this year! https://tinyurl.com/v3x4tner