Tree lot benefits community
Published 9:44 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2019
The Knights of Columbus Suffolk Council 7363 once again is selling fresh-cut Fraser fir Christmas trees at its own tree lot to benefit a number of community organizations.
Even as the trees were unloaded on Saturday, the council was already donating the proceeds, making donations to the Suffolk News-Herald’s Cheer Fund and to the Nansemond River High School Air Force JROTC.
“It’s good for people to know when they see the Knights of Columbus sign, they’re looking at an organization that does good in and around Suffolk,” said Kerry Holmes, grand knight of the council.
The Cheer Fund accepts donations from the community to help fund toys for underprivileged children at Christmas.
The Nansemond River Air Force JROTC brought out more than 70 students on Saturday morning to unload and sort the trees, and as a reward, they got a donation to their water project in Africa.
They are working toward raising enough money to dig a well for a community in Malawi. Last year, they did the same for a community in Uganda.
Commander Isabelle Robinson said the cadets enjoy helping at the tree lot and seeing the impact on the other side of the globe.
“This is one of our favorite things to do,” she said. “It brings it all together and we can see the impact and how it connects to what we’re doing.”
Trees range in size from 6 feet to 12 feet, although Mike Bibbo, financial secretary of the council, said the 12-footers were likely to be gone by the end of last weekend.
The trees are plantation grown, hand sheared, mechanically cleaned, individually baled and harvested just a few days prior to delivery to the lot.
The tree lot is located at 2432 Pruden Blvd., in the parking lot of Line-X of Suffolk and Sherwin Williams. It is open from 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays until they are sold out.