MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Friends of West Virginia University Hospitals recently won two awards at the annual luncheon of the Auxiliary of the West Virginia Hospital Association (AWVHA), which was held in October at The Greenbrier.

Friends won the Project Award for hospitals in the 320- to 540-bed category and the Overall Project Award for the Festival of Trees event. The overall winner is selected from all entries submitted from the hospital auxiliaries in West Virginia.

The 2009 Festival of Trees featured custom-decorated holiday trees, wreaths and decorations. WVU interior design students worked with local designers, tree sponsors and Friends’ board members on the event. Guests were able to purchase tree decorations or even buy an entire tree with all of the trimmings.

Friends President Shera Lorenze and President-Elect Jane Clark attended the conference. “We were thrilled to win both of these awards for the first year of our Festival of Trees event,” Lorenze said. “Most importantly, we made more than $14,000, which was used to improve patient services at WVU Hospitals.”

This year, the festival evolves into a multi-day event featuring live entertainment, gourmet cuisine, a tree auction and a decoration shop. The festival kicks off on Nov. 18 with a holiday shopping and tree tour from 5 to 9 p.m. K.C. and The Sunshine Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 19. The festival wraps up with breakfast with Santa at 9 a.m. on Nov. 20. All three events will be held at the Morgantown Event Center at Waterfront Place.

“Attending the Festival of Trees is a great way to get into the holiday spirit, and all of the proceeds go to a great cause,” Lorenze said.

Tickets to the 2010 Festival of Trees are available at www.morgantowneventcenter.com.

For more information on the WVU Hospitals, visit www.health.wvu.edu.