RIVERSIDE, Calif.– Hundreds of Riverside-area children enjoyed “Story Time with Santa” and a special Christmas craft at the Annual Festival of Trees to benefit pediatric services at Riverside University Health System-Medical Center, thanks to Altura Credit Union.
Eight Altura employee volunteers helped the 250 children at Story Time make reindeer bell necklaces after listening to Santa read them stories.
Additionally, Altura volunteers also decorated a Christmas Tree with a “60th Anniversary Dazzling Diamond” theme in honor of Altura’s 60thanniversary. Diamonds are the symbol of a 60th anniversary. The more than 50 decorated trees are a key fundraising element of the festival. Each of the donated trees feature a unique theme chosen by the decorators.
After the festival, the trees are purchased by individuals and businesses. For the second consecutive year, Riverside University Medical Center purchased Altura’s tree.
More than 30,000 people visit the festival annually, raising more than $500,000 for the Riverside University Health System Foundation. The funds are used for lifesaving equipment and programs for the Pediatric Unit, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Unit.