By LILY TINOCO | Reporter
What better way is there to get into the spirit of the holidays than with a freshly cut tree?
Community members are invited to choose theirs with help from the Palisades-Malibu YMCA at its annual Christmas Tree Lot.
The tree lot offers a variety of fresh, first-cut trees from Oregon, showcasing a selection from table-top-sized to 13 feet. This year’s choices include Vintage, Nordmann and Noble Firs, with prices that range from $40 to $650.
Jim Kirtley, executive director of Palisades-Malibu YMCA, explained that the tree lot is an annual fundraiser for the YMCA. All proceeds stay local to help support different scholarships and programs.
“You’re spending money in your community, and it’s coming right back and staying in your community, helping other families,” Kirtley said to the Palisadian-Post. “It’s all about paying your own community forward.”
Kirtley said although he has been working the tree lot since the year 2000, it has been a tradition since at least the ’80s.
“I know it’s been happening long before me,” Kirtley said with a laugh, “maybe that’s a question we can ask the readers.”
This year’s tree lot will be slightly different, due to COVID-19 protocols in place throughout the county of Los Angeles and state of California: Kirtley said guests will be asked three wellness questions, and temperatures will be taken ahead of entering the lot.
The lot opened its doors to community members on Tuesday, December 1. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 3 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., until the trees sell out.
This season, the tree lot is located at Simon Meadow Field at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road.
Kirtley, who reported a great turnout to this year’s annual pumpkin patch event, which ran through the month of October, hopes the tree lot receives the same support.
“We had a much better year this year than last,” he said.
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