For the eighth year in a row, the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation’s Christmas tree lot fundraiser will be held at the corner of Scotts Valley Drive and Disc Drive.
The SVEF is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers who are dedicated to raising funds to support the educational experience of all students in the Scotts Valley Unified School District.
The Christmas tree lot opened on Saturday, Nov. 29, and will continue to run until the supply of trees runs out. It will be open six days a week; Tuesday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.
“We are probably the biggest seller of Christmas trees in Scotts Valley and 100 percent of the funds from the lot all go back to the schools,” said Derek Timm, president of the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation. “Every year, we get a call at the end of the school year from the district, letting us know where they are falling short and we try to fill that gap.”
Last year’s Christmas tree lot raised about $20,000, said Linda Benko, the volunteer lot coordinator for the event. That money went to providing counseling services and keeping libraries open at all four schools within the district.
The trees sold out in seven days last year, so an additional 150 were added to this year’s order, bringing the total number of trees on the lot to nearly 500.
“A lot of people in the community have made it their tradition to come by (the lot) to get their tree,” Benko explained. “So it’s a fun place to check in with everyone in the neighborhood.”
Consistent with the tradition, are the students who return every year to donate their time at the lot.
“We have a really awesome group of high school students who volunteer and a lot of them do it year after year,” Benko said. “It’s hard work, but they enjoy it.”
High school and middle school students use the lot as a fun and festive opportunity to fulfill community service hours required for graduation, Timm said.
“Students do everything from setting up the tree lot, to sales, tearing it down, to learning good retail experience,” he added. “And it’s a great thing because so many families within the community support the tree lot and local businesses, too.”
Along with the Christmas tree lot, the foundation also hosts the Mountain Charlie Bike Challenge fundraiser to help collect funds for local schools.
“We are celebrating our 30th year we were one of the first educational foundations in the state of California and our mission is to support the most critical needs of the Scotts Valley public school system where the state funds have been insufficient,” Timm stated.
