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Date: 12/22/2020
GRANBY – The Granby Cub Scout Troop 306 are raising money to support the troop by hosting their annual tree pickup program.
James Guzman, who serves as the fundraising chair and cub master of Pack 4034, said the Christmas tree pickup program began about five years ago after coming to the area. Guzman said he was the one who first thought of the pickup. “I’m the one who brought it about, when I was a scout years ago in the 90s when I taught out in California. When I came out here to Granby, I was talking to the Scouts for years about having it,” he said. “They were looking for a fundraiser, they finally entertained the idea, we’ve been running with it ever since.”
He said in addition to serving as a fundraiser, the project also serves as community service. “The deal with ours is we also bill it as community service,” he said.
Guzman added that there is a $5 suggested donation for the tree pickup. However, he said people were “not pinned down” and that if people were in need of a pickup they would be able to take the tree off their hands.
While the troops used to simply dispose of the trees, Guzman said now the trees either go to farms where they become food for goats or they are recycled by landscaping companies. This, he explained, helped the trees not “get thrown out or become a fire hazard.”
Guzman said the funds raised through the tree pickup help fund trips that the scouts go on throughout the years. “It reduces the amount of cost they have to afford if we fund that through the troop, it helps offset the cost,” he said.
The scouts will pick up trees in both South Hadley and Granby. He said that the troop will be doing two pickups, one on Jan. 2 and one on Jan. 16. Typically, Guzman said pickups “are usually in excess of 50 people,” in addition to a few random trees that are picked up along the way.
He said while “you don’t necessarily have to sign up,” if you want to guarantee a pickup those interested should sign up. However, “if it gets left out at the street we’re going to grab it.” Additionally, the scouts will also pick up wreaths for a suggested donation of $4.
Trees should be free of decorations, nails, hooks, bases and all metal. Flocked trees will not be accepted and scouts will not be able to enter homes, so sidewalks and walkways should be cleared and safe.
Those interested in scheduling a pickup should call 627-0598 or sign up on granbyscouts.com. Checks should be made out to Granby Troop 306 and attached to the tree in a baggie or mailed to T-306 Tree-Cycle at 16 Griswold Cir., Granby, MA 01033.