Twinkling lights and swirling decorations warmed up a Coeur d'Alene Resort bay room on Friday morning, as gaggles of coworkers and families bustled around tottering pines.

Some people were positioning angels, tweaking monkeys, adjusting hand-made pirate decor. Side by side, the trussed up trees set off a riot of colors.

No one can call the Festival of Trees a drab affair.

"Hopefully people will think it's great for a children's room," said Amanda Miller as she looked over the Hospice of North Idaho's sock-monkey tree.

The tree, strewn with orange and pink monkeys that volunteers hand stuffed all summer, also includes a bucket of wine to appeal to adults, she was eager to point out.

Anything to help the fundraiser's target, she said, to expand Kootenai Medical Center's neonatal services.

"We've got a bucket full of wine and a tree full of monkeys," said Miller, hospice spokeswoman.

It's no problem that neonatal is a different focus for hospice employees, she added.

"From beginning of life to the end, we do a good job in this community of caring for everybody," she said.

Volunteers on Friday were finishing the 32 displays entered in the 24th annual Festival of Trees, a charity event to benefit the Kootenai Health Foundation, Inc.

Themes of the trees that are soon to be auctioned off include piracy, children's toys and an ideal man's world, with decorations like fishing gear, beer bottles and a La-Z-Boy.

People can still pop by The Resort to gaze at the trees from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, for a $2 entrance fee.

Donna Murphy's family, double checking decorations on Friday, is well acquainted with the need for a local neonatal care unit, she said.

Murphy's own granddaughter, Kolbie, had to be ferried by helicopter to the Spokane neonatal care unit two years ago, she said, which was emotionally exhausting for the family.

"It was very bad, because we as a family wanted to have someone there all the time. There was just the expense of it, finding a place for them to stay, delivering meals there," the Kootenai County resident said, adding that a KMC unit relieves that pressure. "It was very, very stressful on everyone."

Murphy had high hopes for the appeal of the tree she worked on with her daughters and son-in-law, which featured tiny lanterns, hanging canoes, and a hand-made river-rock mirror.

"This is very worthwhile," Murphy said as she stood back to look over the tree. "Doing stuff like this, it's the community pulling together to help each other out."

Staff from the Auburn Crest Hospice had quickly cobbled a Bucket List tree, complete with DVDs of the movie in buckets.

The branches featured photos of exotic locations people might dream of visiting.

"Everybody wants to live out their dreams. Everybody," said nurse Christine LaBang. "People can really relate to it."

The tree also embraces the message the hospice instills with its clients, said Tammy Plumb, community outreach coordinator.

"Even though you've been told you're at the end of life, you're still living," Plumb said.

Another tree was perfected by a group of KMC therapists, some of whom have been involved with the neonatal unit.

There is a definite need for the service, said occupational therapist Heidi Anderson, who has treated babies exposed to drugs while in utero.

"For me, it's very rewarding," said Anderson, who decorated a tree with another occupational therapist, a speech therapist and physical therapist. "Babies have such a capacity to grow and improve, no matter the situation."

The group's finished product on Friday was an iridescent sugar plum tree, rimmed with a fuzzy white carpet.

While it took months to prepare, the group hoped the tree would fit a child's fantasy.

"It's a nice bonding experience," Anderson said. "It makes you feel good to give something back to the hospital you work for."

Last year, the Festival of Trees raised more than $360,500.

Ticketed events for the Festival of Trees are sold out. Those include a senior social from 9 to 11 a.m. today, with a dinner and dance from 5 p.m. to midnight. Monday's fashion show will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and from 5 to 7:30 p.m.