Free Christmas trees at Salinas High School
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) There were more than 100 trees lined up along the parking lot of Salinas High School, up for grabs to anyone still looking for that last minute Christmas tree and they were being given away for free.
The trees were actually saved from being dumped, after a Salinas High School agruculture teacher found out there were leftovers at a local Christmas tree lot.
“I drove by them and I saw them out in the field and I’m all, that’s a horrible thing, we got to get those trees taken care of,” said Chris Evans, AG teacher at Salinas High School.
Instead of the Christmas trees going to waste, Evans rounded up a few students to collect the lonely batch.
“So people who didn’t get the chance to get a tree or don’t have the money to afford a tree," mentioned Josh Villanuvea, Salinas High School Senior and Salinas FFA member.
“This time of the year is all about giving back, it's great to be able to help out,” added Linkin Word, Salinas High School senior and Salinas FFA member.
The group of students unloaded and displayed each tree, held up signs, and braved the damp, cool weather. And though only a handful of people stopped by, they left with a Christmas tree in the back of their car, and a smile on their face.
“The people we got, it wasn’t a lot but they were extremely thankful so it was nice to make the families happy, you know helping people in the community,” said Napoleon Navarro, Salinas High School senior & Salinas FFA member.
"And they said that we just made theirChristmas," continued Evans.
At the end of the night, Evans and the Salians FFA students were able to give away about 15 to 20 trees.
As for the rest, “Well they’re going to go to the dump and become compost and be used in someone’s yard. So one way or another they’ll become a beneficial outcome,” stated Evans.
People who stopped by did ask if they could pay or make a donation but Chris Evans said, "It wasn’t about the money it was about making a Christmas happen." The goal was not just to find a home for all the trees, but to make the holidays a little brighter, one fur at a time.
