Lions tree sale off to good start
CENTER TWP — Christmas tree sales were as brisk as the wind Friday during the first day of the Butler Lions Club Christmas tree sale.
The Lions were selling trees from the picnic shelter at Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive, and had customers as soon as the trees arrived shortly before noon, said Lions Club member Barry Flecken.
The 80 trees, mostly Fraser firs, were selling for $60 each and were attracting repeat customers.
Megan Byers of Butler, who bought a six-foot-tall tree, said this was the seventh year she and her family got their tree from the Lions.
“We always try to come here,” said Byers. “My husband is a nurse and he had today off, so we will decorate it this afternoon.”
“We have traditional ornaments that we put up every year,” she said. “Well, our dog ate the star last year, and we had to buy a new star.”
Bob and Kandy Crerar of Fenelton said they are also repeat customers.
Bob Crerar said, “We come out every year. They have nice trees and the people here are very polite.”
The Crerars said they deck the tree in the same ornaments year after year, just adding a new White House and the ornaments, given to them by their grandchildren, Jimmy and Emma Grace.
Patty Casey of Butler said she has to have a real tree, not an artificial substitute.
“I always like a real tree, like these Fraser firs, the old-fashioned trees,” said Casey. “We have an old house that dates to 1874, and we use vintage ornaments for the cottage look.” And since her house has rooms with 9-foot ceilings, Casey was able to buy an eight-foot-tall tree.
Carrie Smith brought her three children, Elliette, 15; Cameron, 13; and Brody, 7, to help her pick out a tree.
“This is our second year. We got a tree here last year and thought it was great and convenient,” said Smith. “We prefer a real tree. We’ll set it up when we get home.”
She said her family decorates the tree with what she called a “core bunch” of ornaments and then adds others that go in and out of the decoration rotation.
Once buyers get their trees home, the Penn State Extension says maintaining a high moisture level in the tree is the single most important factor in reducing needle loss and keeping the tree fresh.
These research-based guidelines from the Extension will help maintain the freshness and aroma of a live Christmas tree:
Use a tree stand with an adequate water-holding capacity. A tree stand should have a water basin that provides 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. For most Christmas trees, the stand should hold at least 1 gallon of water. A cut tree will absorb a surprising amount of water, particularly during the first week, so replenish the water daily.
If the tree is to be stored for more than a couple of days before display, it is advisable to place its trunk in water and store it in a cool, shaded, and protected, area such as an unheated garage.
If the tree has been cut within12 hours, it will not be necessary to recut the trunk prior to display indoors. If it has been longer than 12 hours since harvest, the trunk should be recut to improve water uptake.
Cutting off a disk of wood about ¼ inch thick from the base of the trunk is all that is necessary before putting the tree in the stand.
The Extension recommends keeping trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents and direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
“We’ve been at this location for six years. We have a lot of regular customers who know who we are here and the trees we have here,” said Lions Club President John Hertzog. “And we move the trees out pretty fast.”
For more than 60 years, the Butler County Lions Club has been selling Christmas trees to the community from various locations. including Butler High School and a lot by the Little Red Schoolhouse in downtown Butler.
Flecken said the money raised by the Christmas tree sale goes to Lions charities, with the biggest chunk going to the Blind Association to pay for glasses, leader dogs, diabetes screening and for pediatric cancer patients.
Hertzog said, “We’re proud that some of the money we send to the state organization has gone to hurricane relief. While the Lions respond to tragedy or devastation, a lot of the money stays local.”
The Lions will sell trees from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Saturdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays until the trees are sold out.
