THUNDER BAY – Terry Ferguson said everyone shops for Christmas trees a little differently.
He’s more than willing to help out when asked, though.
Ferguson, the president of the Westfort Kiwanis Club, was on hand on Saturday morning as members of the Thunder Bay Police Youth Corps and the local ski patrol helped unload 640 evergreens from a tractor trailer, the final piece of the annual Christmas tree lot puzzle.
With Christmas a little more than a month away, he said the best way to find the perfect tree is through touch and feel.
“When someone comes on the lot when I’m working, I wrap my arms around a tree for a customer and I look for the one that’s the tightest and the heaviest,” Ferguson said.
“You know you’re going to get something nice and bushy – depending on what the customer wants, because they didn’t make the perfect tree yet.”
Ferguson said no two shoppers are alike.
“You’ll get the whole gamut, from a guy who comes on the lot with his eyes closed and says, ‘Give me a tree, my wife is on my case,’” Ferguson said, “to a woman who will come back five, six, maybe even 10 times like last year, picking out the perfect tree.”
The Wesfort Kiwanis Club has seven different trees for sale, ranging in price from $50 to $140 for the large 10-foot trees at the back of the lot.
Ferguson said he’s hopeful the public will support their efforts.
“Last year there was a lot of competition in town and we had to dump some at the end of the year, which really hurt. We’re really looking for the city’s support. We appreciate it very much, because the one’s we throw away, that’s pure profit.”
Freedom Pawdomu, a member of the youth corps, said helping out is a win-win for both groups.
“It’s important to us and the organization because the Kiwanis Club, we scratch their back, they scratch our backs,” Pawdomu said.
“They help us out. Being out here today, lifting all these heavy Christmas trees ... it’ll put a lot of smiles on kids’ faces when they get them home.”
Money raised will be used to help youth in need throughout the community, including Our Kids Count.
The tree lot will be open from noon until 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on weekends, until there are no trees left or Dec. 23, whichever comes first. They will also have a trailer with 50 local trees set up on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Thunder Bay Country Market.
