Some area nonprofits are decking the halls to raise donations.
Annual Christmas tree sales can be a fundraising coup for community service organizations who bank on holiday revelers driving past commercial tree lots and paying them a visit.
“We’ve done quite well in the past and we’re on track this year,” said Jim Houston, secretary of the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, a volunteer group that donates time and money to youth services and programs.
For those looking to buy a live tree, fundraiser volunteers said this is a way to get a tree and do some good, too.
“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Houston said. The club has been selling trees in the Vienna area for more than 40 years, he said.
Volunteers raised about $30,000 last year, Houston said.
“That all stays within youth programs in Vienna,” he said.
Trees are priced between $35 and $120 depending on their size. Although some of the money raised goes to paying for the trees, most of the money goes to charity, Houston said.
Across the county, the Burke Lions Club also is selling trees with the same goal of helping the community and area youth.
The Burke Lions raised $15,000 through tree sales in 2010.
“Our tress are a little more expensive … we can’t keep up with Home Depot on prices. But it goes to a good cause,” said Ron Gerhardt, treasurer of the Burke Lions Club.
Price for Lions’ trees varies from $60 to $80, depending on size. About 45 percent of tree sales go to charity, Gerhardt said, with the remaining money going to the cost of purchasing trees to sell.
Area high schools also are selling trees this holiday season through their athletic and student booster organizations.
One such school is Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, which has sold trees for about 18 years as part of the baseball team’s fundraising efforts.
“It’s turned out to be our primary fundraiser,” said Bill Evers, assistant baseball coach and assistant principal.
The sale started as a partnership with an area Little League organization, he said.
“It all goes to Robinson baseball ... anything from uniforms to equipment,” Evers said, adding that the team can raise between $8,000 and $11,000 through the sale of 400 trees.
The school still has trees available but only for a few more nights.
“We’re down to our final maybe 30 trees,” Evers said.
Similarly, West Potomac High School’s Athletic Boosters Club has seen success with holiday tree sales.
“This is a very popular event for the Boosters and one of our main fundraisers,” club co-President Vicki Aardema said. “The money raised goes to the athletics program at West Potomac high school. The county only funds about half of the athletic budget and the boosters cover the rest, raising money to give our student-athletes a quality program.”
She said the school has raised about $10,000 so far.
Centreville High School is fairly new to the Christmas tree fundraising effort. Entering its fourth year selling trees, the school likely will raise about $6,000 this winter, said Director of Student Activities Jimmy Sanabria.
“Last weekend was a big weekend for sales as well as this weekend,” he said. “This year, all the proceeds from our sale will go into our turf field fund. We’re trying to get two turf fields next year.”
Sanabria said the sale is a good money-maker, but also a community effort.
“I think it’s one of our good [fundraising events], but it takes all of us and that’s what makes it work,” he said.
Information on individual high school tree sales can be found by visiting the schools websites.
hhobbs@fairfaxtimes.com
