Sale begins Tuesday

By Mark Fischenich

MANKATO — The local charitable Christmas tree lot, which provides scholarships for YMCA camps and programs for low-income kids, has reached the point where none of the original volunteers are still with the program.

So the second-generation volunteers at the Y’s Club Tree Lot aren’t exactly sure how long the tradition has been building. It might be 45 years. It might be a bit more.

“The club has been in existence for about 51 or 52 years,” said Lori Turbes, co-chairwoman of the public relations committee for the club. “I think it’s been just over 45 years they’ve been selling trees.”

The 30 or so people who are active members of the club provide most of the labor at the tree lot, located in the parking lot along Madison Avenue adjacent to Buster's Bar and across Madison from the Madison East Center. Many of them have been doing it for years.

“I haven’t been there all that time,” said Matt Barnes. “But about half that time ...”

Many of the customers have been at it even longer and might be best able to fill in the history.

“Everybody always comes and tells their story,” Turbes said of the long-time Christmas tree buyers. “... You get people who’ve actually bought their tree there every year for 45 years.”

Barnes, who helps coordinate the club’s fundraising projects like the tree lot and the annual corn roast in July, said the lot sells over $30,000 in trees each year and nets between $5,000 and $10,000 to help kids afford the YMCA’s programs.

“People keep coming back,” he said, adding that the lot’s prices are competitive with for-profit lots. “They know all the money is going to a good cause, so most come back every year.”

As do most of the volunteers. The Y’s Club has a paid employee who works the noon to 5 p.m. watch, but club members cover the rest — including the frigid evening shifts.

“We can have some cold nights out there,” Barnes said.

Things became much more tolerable since Keepers RV Center started providing a propane-heater-equipped camper to the cause, replacing an old ice fishing shack that was previously the only shelter. Besides, Barnes said, customers don’t dawdle when shopping in arctic air.

“When people are buying Christmas trees, they’re always happy,” he said. “And the colder it is, the quicker they buy the trees.”

The Y’s Club Annual Christmas Tree Sale begins at noon on Tuesday. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. on weekdays, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.