By Sarah Richardson
The Lewisburg Lions Club announced this week that they will once again not be holding their annual Christmas tree fundraising sale. The popular sale sees hundreds of Christmas trees sold in a matter of days on Rt. 219 beside Greenbrier Chevrolet near Go-Mart.
“In 2020, we had perfect trees from our usual grower down near Blacksburg, and we’d been using that vendor for years,” said Lion’s Club President Joe Taylor. “By the first of November that year, people were calling and texting me asking about trees. However, since then, the farmers have gotten up there in age and said that their kids weren’t going to take over the farm.”
This led to a months-long, multi-state hunt for Christmas trees with the caliper expected from Lion’s Club trees, with some people in the business reporting that they weren’t even sure there was a wholesale supplier left in the state of West Virginia.
“We tried every avenue we could,” said Taylor. “Every dollar we bring in through the Lion’s Club gets turned right around to help the community. We spend $4,000 a year on eyeglasses and exams for those who can’t afford it and help support so many other community groups.”
The annual tree sale is one of the Club’s two main fundraisers, with the other being a yearly golf tournament. However, the roughly 300 trees they sell every year bolsters the Club’s funding for several of their main projects. The last sale, which was held in 2020, saw those trees sold in just 10 days. Supply issues have since halted the 2021 and 2022 sales, as well.
Taylor reports that just because they can’t secure a wholesaler it doesn’t mean that the sale is dead. “We just got stuck this year,” said Taylor, “but in the spring we will start working to locate trees for 2024.”
Taylor also states that one of the best ways to support the Lion’s Club is to consider becoming a member. “We can really use some new members and participation, and we only meet once a month,” he says. Another way to support the club this holiday season is financially, with donations being accepted at their mailing address: P.O. Box 1215, Lewisburg, WV 24901.
Follow the Lewisburg Lions Club Facebook page to stay up-too-date on the happenings within the Club.