HOM Furniture’s Hermantown, Minnesota showroom and WDIO-TV in Duluth, Minnesota, ended the 2019 business year by raising more than $10,000 during the busy holiday season. The money went to support four designated charities, and important work was done in spreading awareness for the organizations’ research and efforts. This season marked the 5th year of HOM Furniture and WDIO’s participation in the Trees of Hope fundraiser, which has raised more than $50,000 for various charities during this time.

The fundraiser ran from late November into December. Each week, HOM Furniture employees decorated trees on the set of WDIO-TV in specific colors to represent the highlighted charity. Throughout the week, WDIO-TV ran stories on the weekly charity recipient, and provided a phone bank every Monday during all newscasts. For each $20 donation, participants received a coupon for a free ornament from HOM Furniture.

This year’s charity recipients were: Arthritis Foundation, Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA), Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, and Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge (MNATC). The Arthritis Foundation and Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank were chosen by WDIO-TV, while HOM Furniture continued to support MOCA and MNATC, two charities they have contributed to from various fundraisers throughout the years.

The Trees of Hope fundraiser required participation from many different groups and individuals, from HOM Furniture’s Seasonal Concepts team that led the way in decorating the festive holiday trees on set to WDIO’s news anchors and employees. Most importantly, the volunteers that donated time to help run the charity phone banks and everyone that called in and donated money to these important organizations played a crucial role in making these events a success.