Each year, the WHS band and choir departments hold their annual Christmas Tree Pickup fundraiser. While this fundraiser usually relies heavily on student involvement, from passing out flyers in town to making cold calls to customers, to actually picking up the trees, things will certainly not be able to run the same this year. 

“With the nature of running an event like this during COVID, we had to get creative this year,” said WHS Choir Director John Brzozowski. “Since it was not viable to gather student and parent volunteers like in years past, we either had to scrap the event or find another solution.”

Luckily, another solution was found. WHS choir parent and owner of Precision Tree Care, Mark Garretson, offered to pick up all of the tree orders himself. This is a huge undertaking, as the work that would normally consist of 15-20 routes divided among many volunteers from both the choir and band departments is being condensed into one route, where all the trees will be picked up by Garretson and his son, junior Charlie Garretson. 

Because the Garretsons are taking on all of the work themselves, the number of tree pickup orders will be limited to 400, and all payments must be mailed in. Customers will not be able to pay the day of the tree collection as was allowed in years past. 

Although Garretson will be largely in charge of the operations on the actual day of the pickup, students on the Band and Choir Leadership Councils will be helping with the work leading up to and following the event. 

Tree pick-ups cost $20 each, and the registration deadline is Dec. 28. All trees will be picked up by Garretson on Jan. 4, with a possible rollover into Jan. 5. 

“The Leadership Councils [will be] dealing with the emails that come in, working out what we need to set up a route for Mr. Garretson and then advertising and just getting the word out,” said WHS Band Director Christopher Vitale. 

While the future is unpredictable for in-person music events, the funds raised by the tree pickup will be used “to help run band and choir events, pay for clinicians, instruments, music, hire accompanists and teaching artists, supplement and subside trips, and much more,” said Brozozowski. 

For additional information regarding the Christmas Tree Pickup and to register before slots fill up, click here.