Supporting a local school through Christmas spirit
St. Mary’s School in Moscow organizes its yearly sale of Christmas trees
MOSCOW — Christmas spirit and school spirit go hand in hand this time of year for Moscow’s St. Mary’s School.
Each year since the early 1980s, parents and teachers brave the winter cold to sell Christmas trees as part of a fundraiser supporting the school. Parent Bonnie Wilmoth is leading this year’s tree sale in the Tri-State Outfitters parking lot.
“It’s an opportunity to support local students and celebrate the holidays,” she said Friday.
The school hopes to sell nearly 500 trees, 150 Christmas wreaths and 2,000 raffle tickets. The raffle is sponsored by ICCU and United Country Real Estate.
Noble, Douglas and grand firs ranging from 5 feet to 14 feet tall are on display. Wilmoth said the trees are supplied by Triple T Nursery in Careywood, Idaho, and Oregon-based Premium Christmas Trees.
The Christmas tree sale is one of three major fundraisers the school organizes to support students. Wilmoth said student tuition pays for only 40% of the school’s expenses, so fundraisers are necessary to supplement the school’s budget.
Wilmoth said selling Christmas trees is not as easy as it used to be in the 1990s when St. Mary’s would sell 1,000 trees each year. The popularity of artificial Christmas trees and a tree shortage in 2017 have put a damper on sales in recent years. However, Wilmoth said this year’s sale is already off to a great start.
“It’s been really busy,” she said.
Genesee resident Jim Reisenauer has always bought real trees, and this year was no different as he picked out a Douglas fir from the St. Mary’s School sale.
“I’ve never had an artificial,” he said. “It just feels more natural.”
Reisenauer said he likes to support the school, which used to be a sports rival when he attended St. Boniface in Uniontown.
Wilmoth said her child, who is in second grade, convinced her and her husband to get a real tree this year.
The tree sale will continue until Dec. 21 or until they sell out of trees, whichever comes first, Wilmoth said. The Tri-State Outfitters parking lot will have trees available from noon to 8 p.m. on Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Wilmoth said local Boy Scouts will offer to pick up the trees from homes after the holiday season for a donation.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
