The holiday season is about giving and helping others, and it’s easy to help those who want to help you.
The Park City Lacrosse Organization is willing to do so, and has been for the last eight or 10 years in a fairly special way.
Their offer is simple: support a local athletics program and in doing so, members of the team will come to you and rid you of that giant Christmas tree that began drying out weeks ago.
The Christmas Tree Recycle initiative was set in place to help the PCLO support their own cause by maintaining an up-and-coming sport. The program features an organized Christmas tree pick-up where members of Park City lacrosse come to your home and haul your tree to one of four local recycling sites.
Residents and willing participants just go to www.parkcitylax.org and fill out a form and pay a $25 tax-deductible donation and the PCLO will swing by your residence and take care of business.
John Boland, who is on the board of directors of the PCLO, sees the initiative as a way to unite those within the organization with the community.
“This is the single-most important fundraising initiative by far,” Boland said. “Last year our girls’ team went to the state semifinals, and the boys went to the state finals. We couldn’t have done it without the support of the community.”
Lacrosse isn’t a cheap sport, especially considering it’s a not a school-sanctioned sport at Park City High School.
Equipment, away-game travel, referees and coaches are just some of the reasons why the fundraiser was set in motion eight to 10 years ago.
In order to stay afloat, the organization must be able to raise money locally.
Last year the organization hit a record with 450 trees gathered and recycled. According to Boland, the goal this year is to pick up 500 trees.
“We’re just looking for Park City residents who want to get rid of their trees,” he said. “Just leave them at the end of their driveway and we’ll swing by and take care of it.”
There are two different pick-ups dates that take place in January: Sunday, Jan. 2 and Saturday, Jan. 8.
The PCLO asks donators to strip the tree of any lights or decoration by 9 a.m. of the day of pick-up.
Boland said the tree initiative represents 20-25 percent of the team’s overall budget.
“Without this, we would have to raise membership fees,” Boland said.
Andrew Gutman, the president of the PCLO, knows the initiative is essential to the team’s stable future, but also sees it as a way to get bond.
“It’s a great event for us,” he said. “It’s a great team-building exercise. It’s kind of fun, actually.”
Gutman said that there are about 100 players in the PCLO and it will only continue to grow as the springtime sport gets bigger and bigger in Utah.
“We get better at it every year,” he said. “It’s community service and it’s repeatable. Compared to anything else we’ve tried, it’s been far more successful.”
For those who wish to dispose of their Christmas trees themselves, trees can be dropped off between Dec. 26 and Jan. 13 at following locations. The “North 40” sports field (access road off of Kearns Blvd. east of the school district offices, the Jeremy Ranch parking lot opposite the Jeremy Store, Silver Summit and Bell’s Sinclair gas station.
Trees can be recycled at Summit County’s Three Mile Canyon landfill on State Road 32 near Wanship as well.
All recycled trees will be chipped into mulch for city and county plantings around Summit County.
Trees will not be picked up in Deer Crest, Promontory or The Colony areas by the PCLO. To get involved with the initiative go to www.parkcitylax.org .