It’s one of the biggest nights of the year for the West Columbia Beautification Foundation.

The Fourth Annual Tribute for Trees is.. Tuesday, Sept.18, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. It’s in the New Brookland Room of the West Columbia City Hall, 1200 N. 12th St.

A $200 donation includes a tree for West Columbia and admittance into the Tribute for Trees Gala. The evening features hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, and entertainment by Bob Michalski, the Sax Man, with emcee Joe Pinner.

And this year’s Tribute to Trees coincides with a milestone.

“It’s the 10-year anniversary of the West Columbia Beautification Foundation,” said Melissa Sprouse-Browne, WCBF chairwoman. “It’s great to be around for 10 years.”

West Columbia Mayor Bobby Horton said he’s proud of the WCBF’s longevity and he looks forward to the Tribute for Trees.

“It’s such a wonderful evening,” Horton said. “And the beautification foundation does such an excellent job of making West Columbia better.”

Last year, the West Columbia Beautification Foundation raised $25,550 at the Tribute for Trees. Sprouse-Browne said the events, since the first one, have met the fundraising goal, or exceeded it.

Sprouse-Browne is pleased with the progress.

“The Tribute for Trees means the world to me as a resident and the owner of multiple businesses in West Columbia,” she said. Tribute for Trees is a huge contribution to our budget.

The WCBF also receives funding from grants. But without the proceeds from the trees tribute, Sprouse-Browne said the WCBF would not be able to do nearly as much as it does.

In its decade of service, the West Columbia Beautification Foundation has been committed to redefining West Columbia as an impressive and attractive place to live, work, or visit by involving the entire community in positive beautification efforts.

The WCBF was formed in 2008, when local community leaders, elected officials, and city staff collaborated to establish it as a nonprofit organization designed to energize West Columbia by making it a more attractive.

One of the most-signifcant areas of beautifiction adressed by the WCBF is the Sunset Boulevard (US 378) area of the city. Thanks to funds raised by the last three Tribute to Trees events, magnolias have been planted on the roadside. Those trees are growing, and adding an aestetic quality.

Sprouse-Browne said the attention of the WCBF is being redirected.

“We will move our focus more to the US 1 (Augusta Highway) corridor,” she said.

To fulfill its mission, the West Columbia Beautification Foundation partners with the City of West Columbia to beautify both public and private areas through landscaping and other projects. The Beautification Foundation provides a mechanism to accept tax deductible contributions for this purpose.

The Foundation, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, also solicits individual and corporate sponsorships to aid the city in obtaining funds for beautification projects along West Columbia’s major thoroughfares, the expansion of tree canopies and the development of green spaces. The improvements made are meant to have a long-term positive impact on the economy, environment, and livability of the West Columbia community.

If you are interested in making a donation, all donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to: West Columbia Beautification Foundation, PO Box 4044, West Columbia, SC 29171. Also, the foundation is requesting assistance from local businesses in the installation and/or maintenance of the plantings. If your business is interested in assisting with the plantings, please contact Colleen Otte at 803-939-8616.

It is your chance to make West Columbia an even better place to live.