Social Scene – Dana Bisbee
A Christmas tree forest grew beside a village of gingerbread houses in the Westin Hotel Copley Place Saturday night.The Children’s Hospital League’s ”Festival 2004: The Wonder of Children” celebrated the holiday symbols while raising funds to support a variety of services at Children’s Hospital Boston.”We fund all the stuff to make a child’s hospital stay happier,” said Mary Sue Terranova of Wayland, who co-chaired the gala with Karen Philip and Wendy Simches, both also from Wayland. League-funded programs include the Big Apple Circus’ Clown Care Unit, a pet therapy program, the hospital’s Entertainment Center and music and art therapy programs. The League also funded the Children’s Hospital’s ambulance, a new Devon Nicole House for patients’ families and recently fulfilled a $1.5 million pledge to the hospital’s Center for the Critically Ill Child. The party’s main event was the sale of 15 designer-decorated Christmas trees, which were sold and then donated by their owners to go to other children’s charities. CBS4 news anchors Lisa Hughes and Josh Binswanger were emcees. The on-air duo, accompanied by his wife, Carla Binswanger, and her fiance, Mike Casey, introduced hospital president James Mandell, League president Patti Wayne and two emotion-packed patient parent testimonials. Karin Lieberman and Carolyn Snider, both of Newton, co-chaired the trees committee. Revelers included Lynne and Gary Smith of Wellesley, Carolyn and Joe Campanelli of Wellesley, and Susan and John Spooner of Boston. Monday, December 6, 2004