Auburn University and Tiger Dining are asking students to go "All in for Toomer's Trees" Friday for an Arbor Day event.
Tiger Dining has been planning this event since learning the trees had been poisoned.
Gina Groome, marketing manager for Tiger Dining, has been in charge of a team of Tiger Dining employees putting together the event.
"The idea came from the poisoning of the trees, and we wanted to do something to show our appreciation and support for the students and community," Groome said.
The Arbor Day event will be held on Samford Lawn and will include a silent auction, jambalaya lunch, inflatables and a Toomer's tree update.
It is open to the public, and all proceeds will go toward the Toomer's Trees and Traditions Fund.
Lauren Goetsch, junior in international business and Tiger Dining marketing intern, has been the marketing intern for Tiger Dining and one of the main students to help Groome and her team.
"(Gina and I) just have an incredible love for the Auburn family," Goetsch said.
Goetsch said she remembers going into Groome's office right after she heard about the poisoning and deciding that they had to do something to help the trees.
"We weren't sad, but we said we just have to do something," Goetsch said.
The event will feature numerous speakers including Gary Keever, professor of horticulture and head of the Toomer's Oak task force.
Keever said they have received the test results from five trees that were thought to have received the most damage.
The tree on Magnolia Avenue is showing no signs of poisoning, Keever said.
"If you look up in the tree and say, 'It doesn't look that good,' well it hasn't looked good for a number of years because we, in our exuberance, do damage to it," Keever said. "We light it on fire, we roll it, so we get the fire hoses and blow that toilet paper off, people run into it, all sorts of things that we do to things that we love."
Even though one of the trees is dying, Keever said he sees a lot of good coming out of this event, such as the relationship with people at the University of Alabama.
"All in for Toomer's Trees" is all about showing support for the Auburn Family.
"I took it personally as a member of the Auburn Family when this happened, and it is about taking time out of our day and giving back to a great community," Goetsch said.
Goetsch has helped publicize the event through Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth.
"I am so fortunate to have so many friends and be involved in a variety of groups on campus, and I have been telling anyone and everyone." Goetsch said.
Goetsch has been able to use her expertise in planning an event on Samford Lawn because of her involvement in SGA's Holiday Celebration.
"Our team is passionate about helping the students and the University," Groome said.
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