Proceeds from sale of Rotary trees help community

People spend all year trying to re-create the smell of freshly cut evergreens by hanging air fresheners from the rearview mirror in their cars or lighting candles that evoke aromas associated with the holidays.

It's time to ditch the chemically treated, pressed-paper tree cutouts and haul the real deal into your home for the holidays.

The Rotary Club of SML placed 120 Fraser firs for sale on Wednesday for its annual winter fundraiser. Rotarian John Lietz said the trees were cut this week at a nursery near Floyd.

"These trees that we have are really nice trees," said Lietz. "We get them hand-picked."

Rotarians traveled to the nursery earlier this year and picked through the assortment, tagging the best-looking trees for the sale.

"There's no bare spots," said Lietz. "You can just go pick one out."

The trees will be sold at Hot Shots Family Fun Center, co-owned by Rotarian Jeff Schott and his wife, Rhonda, during regular business hours. The trees range in size from 6 to 10 feet and cost between $50 and $80. Free delivery is available.

Lietz said the club's 28 members hope to make $3,000 to $4,000 from the sale. The proceeds go into the Rotary club's general fund, which is used to support vocational, international and local projects.

Community projects include maintaining the playground at SML Community Park, supporting Lake Christian Ministries and SML Good Neighbors, Inc., and providing scholarships to lake-area high school students.

The club's newest project, Tackling Hunger at SML, was initiated this spring "to provide fruits and vegetables to people receiving food from Lake Christian Ministries," said Lietz.

The club is looking for gardeners and farmers to partner with to provide fresh produce to LCM clients.

The holiday tree sale is one of four Rotary fundraisers that help fund these and other projects. Lietz said the trees have been sold quickly in recent years. Last year, the club sold out the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, the club brought in 18 more trees than last year.

"Hopefully, we'll sell them all," he said. "If we sell a lot of them quickly, we may make another trip [to the nursery] to bring some back. It depends on how the sales go."

For more information or to reserve a tree, call Hot Shots at 719-1547.