The 2010 cancellation of the city’s curbside Christmas tree pickup service has created an ongoing headache for many Ann Arborites, but it’s been a boon to high school fundraisers. Skyline parent Stephanie Ritter says her school’s program started in 2014 by collecting 125 trees. This year, the school’s band and theater programs jointly picked up more than 360, delivering them to city drop-off sites for a suggested donation of $20 to $30 per tree.
Following Skyline’s lead, the Huron High PTSO and the Pioneer baseball boosters club started their own tree collection fundraisers. Huron PTSO member-at-large Michelle Armbruster says Huron collected forty trees in 2015 and doubled that in 2016. “So many fundraisers are making people buy stuff that they don’t want, and they’re just doing it out of the goodness of their heart,” Armbruster says. “With this fundraiser, you’re actually helping people get something taken care of.”
