Behind the trees at 45th annual Akron Children’s Holiday Tree Festival are stories of love and giving

An unexpected Amazon delivery got Ken Waters and Wendy Greathouse involved in their first Holiday Tree Festival in Akron about five years ago. The company accidentally sent them a large Little Tikes dump truck designed for children to ride in. When they contacted Amazon, the couple were told it would cost too much to ship the toy back. “They said, ‘That s really expensive to ship. Why don t you just keep it?’” Waters said. So Greathouse and Waters turned the unexpected delivery into a transportation-themed Christmas tree featuring the dump truck. “And then we were hooked ever since then,” Waters said. Wendy Greathouse, left, and her husband, Ken Waters, put the final touches on their “Cat-astrophic tree at the 45th annual Akron Children s Holiday Tree Festival. The event will display numerous trees, wreaths and holiday gifts. The proceeds from the sale of these items support patient care programs, research and education at Akron Children’s. (Michael Francis McElroy / Sign