Donna Patella still can’t tell a killer Christmas tree from a dud. Even after all these years.

Patella is the door through which all the trees in the Providence Festival of Trees must pass. She reviews designs for artistic merit and makes suggestions where she deems them warranted. Gently.

But after 25 years as a volunteer for the festival — 14 in Southern Oregon and 11 in Portland before that — she claims she still has no clue ahead of time which trees will be wildly popular at auction.

"You just have no idea," she says.

The 14th annual Providence Festival of Trees runs through Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Medford Armory. Money raised at this year’s event will be used to upgrade cardiac services at Providence Medford Medical Center.

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As many as 20,000 lookers are expected to descend on the festival during the weekend for public viewing of 35 large, decorated trees plus wreaths and mini-trees festooned by area businesses, designers, nonprofits and others.

Trees sell for thousands of dollars. The record is $15,000. The average is about $6,000 or $7,000.

The event, now a social calendar mainstay, has raised about $3 million for Providence locally since 1992.

"If anybody had sat us down then and said we’d raise that much money by decorating trees, we’d have said they were crazy," Patella says.

She says she reviews tree designs for creativity and individuality. If a tree is short of the mark, she doesn’t blackball it, but diplomatically sends its sponsors back to the drawing board. It doesn’t happen often.

"When I look around I’m amazed at the heart and soul in these trees," she says.

For example, she points to a tree designed and produced by Living Opportunities, a non-profit that works with the developmentally disabled. The white-flocked tree is decorated with cards and ornaments made by the group’s clients.

"This is a wonderful tree," Patella says.

Mobility Unlimited, another non-profit, is also represented by a white tree, this one hung with gleaming ornaments of abstract design with lots of circles, which may represent the wheels on clients’ wheelchairs.

Volunteer Jo Smith of Jacksonville says the tree took 12 hours to decorate.

"There are 2,500 lights," she says. "And we’re amateurs."

Papillon Rouge, a Medford boutique, has entered a green tree blazing with clear light.

"We appreciate the retailers taking part," Patella says. "We know it’s a busy time for them."

The trees will have been sold at an auction dinner by the time this story appears. Bidders buy everything — the tree, its decorations, any tree skirt at the base, Grandma’s rug, whatever is part of the display.

Hospital officials say they will use the money to buy cardiac Picture Archive Communication Systems, or PACS, devices that replace still photos with moving pictures of the heart and surrounding blood vessels. The pictures can be stored and shared online with healthcare providers within minutes.

"This replaces the current process, which requires burning a CD and handing it to the physician," says Lois Catts, director of Cardiac and Vascular Services at Providence.

Last year’s festival benefited cancer patients.

More than 600 volunteers are involved in the annual transformation of the armory into a winter wonderland.

Trees will remain on exhibit through Sunday, then be delivered to bidders Monday. That’s a red-letter day for them, but for Patella nothing compares to the day the trees go up.

"It’s the best day of the year," she says.

Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail bvarble@mailtribune.com.

What: 14th annual Providence Festival of Trees.

When: Dec. 2-4.

Where: Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Highway, Medford.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Admission: $5 general, $3 for children and seniors.