American Tobacco Winds Up Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge with Kringle Mingle Eight Winnters Announced on FOX 50 News & WRAL.com

A crowd gathers at the Kringle Mingle at American Tobacco, cheering on their favorite non-profits in the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge.

Area non-profits decked the grounds at American Tobacco with festive Christmas trees.   Fans and visitors have been texting their favorite choices since early December, and on Thursday, December 16, 2010, celebrity judges made their selections at the Kringle Mingle. 

The winning announcement came on WRAL’s 10pm News on FOX 50 the following evening.

And the winners and their prizes are:

• Text vote winners
• First Place: Tree #3 from The City of His Will  – $5,000 cash prize
• Second Place: Tree #35 Coalition to Unchain Dogs –  $2,500 cash prize
• Third Place: Tree #23 The Fletcher Academy – $1,000 cash prize
• Community Leader Awards (each receive a $1,000 cash prize) 
• Tree #7 Urban Ministries
• Tree #26 North Carolina Arts in Action with tree partner: McKinney
• Tree #40 Lincoln Street Community Development Corporation with tree partner Talecris 
• DPAC Community Star Award (DPAC prize package including tickets and parking passes. Approx retail value: up to $1,000)
• Tree #24 Susan G. Komen for the Cure NC Triangle Affiliate with tree partner Parker’s Landscape Services, Inc.
• Wool E. Bull Prime Cut Award (American Tobacco Suite for one baseball game during the Durham Bulls 2011 baseball season. Package includes 30 tickets, 5 parking passes, and a $500 food and beverage credit. Approx retail value: $1,350) 
• Tree #2 Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Triangle 

The First Place Tree: City of His Will won the $5,000 prize for having the most text votes.

The Kringle Mingle kicked off at 5pm, celebrating the new tradition of decorating in the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge.  Fifty non-profits from throughout the Triangle turned the trees not only into a celebration of the season, but a way to share their mission and message.

WRAL-TV Anchor Gerald Owens emceed the festivities, and Wool E. Bull made an appearance.

American Tobacco partnered with Duke Energy, FOX 50, Frontier Communications, The Triangle Community Foundation and WRAL.com to put on the challenge.  There were a total of 85,531 text votes.

Thanks to ATC’s Valerie Ward for the capcom photos from the Kringle Mingle.  Thanks to WRAL.com for the capcom photos of the winning trees.