First Aid Squad Holds Tree Sale

The Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad has a full lot of trees at their Elm St. location across from Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School.

The sale, which the squad has held at their building for the last four years, began Thanksgiving weekend and will continue until Christmas Eve. The sale is open weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and weekends 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Of 400 Douglas and Balsam Firs of various sizes, they have about 200 left and hope to sell them all by Christmas. Though the cost of the tree depends on its size, the average price is $55.

Proceeds from the Christmas tree sale help run the First Aid Squad. Because all services are free of charge, the squad is heavily dependent upon private donations.

Aside from operating costs, the sale is the main fundraiser for the First Aid Squad's scholarship program for their Junior Members.

"The scholarship was set up by a past president, Alice Nichols, and has been going ever since," said Records Lieutenant and Junior Liaison Officer Chris Raymond. "They will apply for the scholarship the year that they are going on to college. We interview them and see what we can provide them."

Although exact dollar amounts are unavailable, Raymond says each student's scholarship depends on how many students apply; last year there were six, and they each received a scholarship. The scholarships also depend on how much money they can raise from the tree sales.

"This is our main fundraiser for the scholarship," said Raymond.

One of those applying this year is Alyssa Fortune, a senior at Summit High School. She decided to volunteer for the First Aid Squad because "it sounded like a fun place to work." So far, she has not been disappointed.

Stacey Marsac, a Summit resident shopping for a tree with her husband, Jay, and her two children, Liza and Lincoln, said that her family usually cuts its own tree but decided to do something different this year.

"We're local, and it just seems like such a good cause to support," she said.