Christmas trees have one more gift to give

Julian Robinson, 17, dusted off the jacket of Erik James, 16, with mock solemnity outside a home in Lewiston's Mayfair Addition. A van was parked nearby pulling a trailer with a dried-out Christmas tree.

Erik walked up to the door, asked for a donation and returned with a $15 check. The teens were among about 70 youth and adult volunteers who fanned out through Lewiston Saturday morning as part of an annual fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of the Lewis Clark Valley.

Community residents give money in exchange for having their trees hauled away. The effort generated in excess of $4,000 for the club's scholarship fund, which pays fees for children from low-income families who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford club activities.

A large share of the money came from Deruwe Inc., a Dayton company that paid $2 for each of the 570 trees that were gathered. The business does habitat restoration projects for the government.

"It's pretty fun," Julian said. "It feels good to help the community. We all get together. It's like a close family to me."

Julian, Erik and Jake Baker, 15, all Lewiston residents and club regulars, lifted the trees into the trailer and collected contributions. In between stops, they rode in a van driven by Josh Richardson, a club employee.

Laughter erupted frequently as the conversation ricocheted from movies, to super heros to music, with almost anything turning into fodder for a joke. When they spotted a really scrawny tree, they paused to take a picture. "It's a stick with needles on it," Richardson said.

The humor didn't stop even when they inadvertently pulled into a single-entrance, apartment-complex parking lot on a steep hillside that didn't have enough room for the van and trailer to turn around.

A child started watching as Richardson patiently made several failed tries at backing out of the lot. Someone in the van noted that they had an audience. "My life dream is to have John Madden (a retired sports commentator) analyze that with a white board and a lot of booms," Richardson said after he was free of the lot.

Aside from the tight squeeze, the crew easily handled a few blips that surfaced as the outing progressed. They dried one of the bills with the van heater before putting it in the money bag because it was so soaked.

They hesitated about what to do with one tree because numerous ornaments were hanging from its limbs. Then they found a note attached asking that it be taken away.

The tree collection is just one of the club events that Julian, Erik and Josh participate in.

The club's a place, they said, where they go for social activities such as pick-up basketball games and alcohol-free weekend parties. "The club is kind of like my second home," Julian said. "It's where I like to go in my free time."

The club has a more serious side too, they said. One of the groups that Erik attends does volunteer work, such as walking dogs at the animal shelter or playing cards with those being cared for at the veterans' nursing home. Other programs are helping them master public speaking and figure out what and where they want to study after high school.

"I go every single day," Erik said. "I'm always involved. ...It's a great place for everyone. We have positive role models and I can learn so much about life."

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Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.