BUTTE — It’s Christmas for cats and for the people who live here at Big Sky Senior Living Center in Butte.
"I love Christmas and it was something I could share with these guys," says Carolyn Cornelius, a volunteer Christmas decorator at the senior center.
"It started out with 15 trees and my father-in-law had moved in and when he passed on, I continued on and it has grown since then," she continued.
Each year Cornelius begins decorating about 100 Christmas trees in various themes from sports hobbies and Disney characters to Santa, shamrocks, and trees of all colors.
It takes her three months to set up and take down the trees. She loves the process but decorating for Christmas isn’t her only passion.
"I have a cat sanctuary that I’d like to devote more time to," says Cornelius.
So she is looking to downsize the process by putting 33 trees up for silent auction during the senior center's annual Parade of Trees to support Remember to Rescue, a non-profit run by Cornelius that is dedicated to rescuing and providing care for cats in need.
"Christmas is a good time for us to reflect back on our blessings and Carolyn is a blessing to a lot of people as well as a lot of animals and this has been a blessing to us," says Clete Gregory, a resident of Big Sky Senior Living.
"It brightens up the day when I walk out of my room and look around and see all of the beautiful Christmas trees," says Dennis Drogitis, another resident.
"By selling some of the inventory it will allow me to spend more time taking care of the cats and providing for them," says Cornelius.
Big Sky Senior Living's annual Parade of Trees and silent tree auction takes place on Saturday, December 7th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and features a scavenger hunt with prizes for kids.
