Former Hall County Board of Realtors president Kim Crumley started Deck the Hall eight years ago to provide needed funds to Tadmore Elementary, the board’s Partner in Education.

These days the benefit, which began in the lower level of the Gainesville Civic Center, is held at Chattahoochee Country Club with more than 300 guests expected this year.

"Kim Crumley and I were attending a state convention and we heard about another board who was doing something very similar to this," said Judi White, executive vice president of the Hall County Board of Realtors. "We thought, what a great thing we could do for our partner in education, which is Tadmore Elementary School. We have been their only partner in education since I believe 1996."

White added that in those years the Realtors have mentored students at Tadmore and have sponsored the accelerated reader program, among other activities.

Last year the event raised about $22,000 and White said she is hoping for an even better turnout this year.

Deck the Hall — which features hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and a live and silent auction — will benefit Tadmore Elementary in Gainesville along with CASA this year. CASA, or Court-Appointed Special Advocate, is a program where child advocates and volunteers represent abused and neglected children in juvenile court.

Robin Gravitt, a Realtor with the Norton Agency and chairwoman of Deck the Hall, said the silent auction starts at 6:30 p.m. and the live auction starts at 7:30 p.m.

"We’ve got various trips, different beach destinations; we have dinner for two with a limo driver to Luna’s; we have artwork; we have Christmas wreaths," she said.

"In our live auction, we auction fully decorated trees, and those trees are delivered to the purchaser on Saturday by Adams Transfer and Storage. But we have Christmas and non-Christmas items."