The holiday season is all about giving back to the local community, and our friends at Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa know just what it takes to helps those in need while having lots of fun, too!

This year, the hotel gave 10 local non-profits the opportunity to win $1,500 and help out the San Antonio Food Bank, all at the same time! Each non-profit group was given a $150 VISA card and was sent out shopping for the perfect holiday trim-a-tree décor. Each non-profit selected a theme; the March of Dimes group covered their tree with the smiling faces of babies they have helped throughout the year, and the local Boy Scout Troop's "A Souper Christmas" tree used Campbell's Soup cans as decoration (the actual soup from the cans was given out as a part of the Boy Scout Troop's yearly service project of feeding the homeless in the largest overpass bridge in the downtown area).

With the trees complete, it's now time to vote! Votes for each tree are cast in the form of a canned food item for the San Antonio Food Bank, and winners will be announced in early January. The tree with the most votes will win the $1,500 grand prize. A $1,000 and $500 prize are also given out for second and third place.

In addition to the Festival of Trees, Hyatt Regency Hill Country is also hosting its second annual Operation Paperback book drive, which began on Thanksgiving and will run through January 3. All donated books are categorized and shipped off to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, as well as Veteran's hospitals around the world. Last year, the resort collected 2,000 books, and this year the goal is to collect 2,500 books.

And last, but certainly not least, Hyatt Regency Hill Country is keeping the holiday season full of warmth and smiles through Operation Inspiration: Holiday. The program encourages guests at the hotel to stop by the lobby and create a personal holiday greeting card that is sent to troops overseas. Last year, more than 200 letters were created and shipped out just in time for Christmas, and the goal for this year is to create and ship more than 300 cards.

We want to extend a huge thank you to Hyatt Regency Hill Country for everything they do to make the holiday season so bright.