For the third year in a row, the Maine Crime Writers sponsored a tree at the Augusta Elks Lodge Festival of Trees, which ran from Dec. 10 to 15. You’re probably familiar with these fundraisers — they take place all over Maine in late November and December. Businesses, organizations and groups donate a tree, decorated with a theme. Underneath it are gifts donated by the tree sponsor. The trees are raffled off for charity, with winners winning the tree and everything on and under it.

The Augusta Elks are generous supporters of many local causes, particularly Bread of Life, the Augusta area’s soup kitchen and shelter for unhoused and marginalized people all over central Maine, so the raffle certainly supports a good cause. The challenges that many Mainers face because of lack of housing, high housing costs, lack of transportation, the incredibly high cost of heating a home, access to needed services and a reliable support system, are no secret to anyone in the state. We’re a small state and we can’t hide it.

Adding our tree to the 40-plus others at the Augusta Elks week-long event is one way that the Maine Crime Writers step up and help support the real Maine that is a backdrop for so many of our fictional books.

I’m told yearly what a great addition to the event our tree is. This year while I was setting it up with help from my sister Rebecca (she helps every year!), I met a woman whose daughter won it two years ago. She said that her daughter was delighted by the books and other items. They gifted some, but her daughter didn’t want to give most of them up. That said, they recently donated many of the books to the new warming shelter in the capital city.

The raven on top of our tree has become a Maine Crime Writers signature.

The highlight of the gifts under our tree are signed books donated by Maine Crime Writers. This year’s donors were Kate Flora, John Clark, Kate Emerson, Dick Cass, Jule Selbo, Matt Cost and me. Former Maine Crime Writers Barb Ross and Paul Doiron also chipped in. I also pick up books and other writing and mystery-related items during the year when I see them on sale or at a low cost, to add to the tree.

Festival-goers also get a kick out of the raven tree-topper and crime scene tape garland. Aside from regular ornaments, we have mystery-themed ones (thanks Kate Flora!) and I also hang bookmarks from those who’ve donated books for the cause.

The winner of this year’s tree was Kimberly Lincoln. But I have a feeling many people  will benefit from the 40-plus books and other items that were part of our donation this year.

Not everyone is going to venture to the wilds of Augusta, I know, for a charity event. But when next year rolls around — or any time of the year — if you see a local event that will help out your fellow Mainers, consider taking an hour or so and supporting the cause. Maine gives us so much, and for many of us makes our books what they are. The real Maine, outside our pages, needs our love as well.