Each year, more than 5,000 people attend its eight events that spread out over four days.

And for many, it just wouldn't be Christmas without one of the Valle Monte parties.

Each year Silicon Valley designers vie for the chance to decorate a tree, while League members work to pile the gifts beneath them.

Most trees have at least $3,000 worth of gifts tucked under them, and some trees have had as much as $20,000 worth. Ornaments alone on the trees are valued at $1,000 and up.

At the end of the week of events, the trees go home with the lucky raffle ticket holders.

Cupertino businessman Chuck Blair is designing one of the dozen trees this year,

For the fourth year in a row, Blair is doing the "Valle Monte Jewel Tree" which features ornaments handmade by past presidents of the League.

Unlike the rest of the trees where designers are pretty much given carte blanche to do as they please, Blair doesn't always know until the actual decorating day exactly what his ornaments will look like.

But he isn't complaining.

"The Jewel Tree is special because it's the work of past presidents," Blair says.

In keeping with this year's overall theme of "The Gifts of Christmas," Blair is calling his tree "The Gift of Sparkle."

"I've asked the ladies to make their ornaments to look like gifts," he says.

To augment the 60-plus handmade ornaments, he has gift boxes strung together to serve as garlands, additional sparkling ornaments and he is planning on 2,500 lights on the tree.

"The man is a saint in my book," says Eve Jones, League president and a friend and real estate colleague of Blair's for 30 years.

"He designs the tree to showcase our ornaments," Jones says. "He buys thousands of dollars worth of decorations for the tree so it's ladened with ornaments. The handmade ornaments are like the cherries on a sundae."

While Blair is now with Keller Williams Realty, he formerly owned B&B Party Rents.

"It was the largest event planning company in the Valley," Jones recalls. "He would do incredible, spectacular, theatrical settings."

Blair has fond memories of those days working with Apple, Sun Microsystems, Shea Homes and Alain Pinel, among others.

Designing the Valle Monte tree allows him to step back a bit in time.

"When I start to do a flower arrangement or a Christmas tree, I go into a different world and things just come together," he says.

Blair's involvement with Valle Monte is stronger than many of the other designers because he has been active for many years with The Centre for Living with Dying, one of the key charities benefiting from the Christmas Tree Elegance events.

Blair volunteered at the Centre for 16 years and served on its board for six years. This year he helped it merge with the Bill Wilson Center. He now sits on the Wilson board.

Prior to agreeing to do the Jewel Tree, Blair helped League members with decor on the staircases and in the foyer for the event.

Blair's previous Jewel Trees attracted a lot of attention.

A year ago, with the help of his nephew Ken Veach, he created a window frame around his decorated tree. The year before that, he created a tree resembling a chandelier.

But Blair isn't the only designer in Silicon Valley working on a special tree.

Laura Moore, owner of Interior Services of Los Gatos with stores in downtown Campbell and Los Gatos, says, "This is my first year. I've wanted to do it for years, but you have to wait a turn, I'm really excited. It's fun to do a strictly creative project."

Moore's theme is "Nutcracker Sweets" and she promises that "everything on the tree will look sweet and edible."

Michelle Stojanovich of A Room With A View in Los Gatos is doing "Le Chocolat" with edible truffles as ornaments, as well as ones that look like real caramels and spun sugar.

Ginger Turnbull, owner of Interior Design by Ginger in Almaden, is working with Pam Whitgob on the tree they have titled "Magic of Enchantment."

It is the tree designed specifically for the children's party, with gifts for those ages three to 10 underneath.

"This is a pretty sophisticated tree, but we wanted it real sparkly for the children," Turnbull says. "

"We're putting on 14 strands of lights and we have dozens and dozens and dozens of ornaments," she says. The ornaments include fairies, jesters and other whimsical figures.

Rose Garden resident Jill Lawther garnered the lion's share of attention in 2003 with her "Barbie Tree" featuring a dozen Barbie dolls she designed and made outfits for.

This year, Lawther's theme is "Christmas at Tiffany's." The decor is in Tiffany's signature blue color with every gift under the tree from Tiffany & Co.

Linda Dentone and Carolyn Arnold, owners of The Nest in downtown Willow Glen, are doing a "Winter Garden" tree.

"It's a tree you would come upon if you were walking through the snow and discovered a beautiful decorated tree in the middle of the forest," Dentone says. "I see branches sparkling and silver and pine cones and icicles and birds."

The idea for events revolving around decorated Christmas trees came from a similar but less ambitious event in Southern California.

Members Enide Allison, Florence Barker and Betty Roffinella investigated the one down south 38 years ago and decided to expand on the concept.

The first years were modest by today's standards, with trees and gifts in the $150 range and just two events, a tea and the ball.

Now there are two morning coffees, two afternoon teas, a children's party, a champagne brunch, an office party and the grand ball. Six of the events feature a fashion show produced by Macy's.

Tickets range from $35 for the children's party to $150 for the grand ball. Proceeds go to four local mental health agencies: Family & Children Services, John XXIII Multi-Service Center, The Centre for Living with Dying and Alzheimer's Activity Center.

To date, the League has raised more than $6.5 million for the charities.

Valle Monte League's Christmas Tree Elegance events are Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 at the DoubleTree Hotel, 2050 Gateway Place, San Jose. Tickets for the morning coffees and afternoon teas on Dec. 1 and 2 are $65. Tickets for the children's party Dec. 2 are $35. Tickets for the Nov. 30 champagne brunch are $85 and the holiday office party are $100. Tickets for the black tie grand ball Dec. 3 are $150. For additional information or reservations, call 408.278.8001.