Tree Sale benefits youth sports
The Optimist Club of Boyertown is hosting its annual Christmas tree sale in support of Boyertown community youth sports programs.
Every year starting Thanksgiving weekend, the club sets up a stand at Boyertown Rita’s parking lot, 309 E. Philladelphia Ave., Boyertown. Beginning Saturday, Nov. 28, the club will be selling trees Friday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The club will be selling on Thursday nights the weeks leading up to Christmas.
“The annual Optimist Club of Boyertown Christmas Tree Sale is a long standing tradition. Through personified optimism, and perseverance, we are fortunate to be able to continue the tradition, which we hope brings forth a sense of positivity and normalcy during these challenging times,” said Optimist Club of Boyertown President Mike Stanchak. “I would like to personally thank all of the volunteers who donate their time to this event, which ultimately benefits all of the children we serve in the community. We will follow all federal, state and local safety regulations and guidelines, to ensure the safety of our volunteers, and residents who visit our sale.”
All the members of the Optimist Club of Boyertown are all here for the same reason and that is to help the kids in the Boyertown community.
The club first started the fundraiser of selling Christmas trees in the early 1960s. The club has found a home to sell trees thanks in part to property owner Parrish and Brenda Stauffer who own the property and Brian Schlegel owner of Boyertown Rita’s Water Ice. The location is in the heart of Boyertown. The club gets Christmas trees from a tree farm in Schyukill County and then set up the stand.
All eight of the sports programs take turns manning the stand.
“It’s a lot of fun and I really enjoy,” said club Secretary and long time basketball coach Phil Haddad. “It’s a great team bonding activity getting the kids to work together outside of sport. Some of the shyest kids really come out of their shell and have a lot of fun helping others. You will see kids standing there with signs or getting cars to honk their horns as they anxiously await their next customer.”
The Optimist Club of Boyertown provides eight major sports programs for the youth of the Boyertown community to participate in. The programs that the club facilitates are football, cheerleading, field hockey, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls lacrosse and softball. The Optimist Club of Boyertown serves more than 1,700 students from the Boyertown school district with these eight major sports programs.
Of course to be able to run so many programs, the club needs many volunteers to not only coach in the program but dedicated, like minded individuals to govern each individual program and make sure that things run in a manner that provides the best experience possible for all. The chairperson of each program spends countless hours all year long, organizing each program and facilitating solutions to obstacles and issues that arise both during the program season, and during its off season.
At installation night, club President Mike Stanchak told everyone who attended one of his favorite quotes, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters... compared to what lies within us,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
If anyone is interested in making the difference in the life of a child and would like to join the Optimist Club of Boyertown, contact Club Mike Stanchak or Club Secretary Phil Haddad at Boyertownoptimist@gmail.com. The club is currently meeting virtually the second and fourth Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Prospective members are always welcome. When the club meets in person our meetings are at The Greshville Inn. For more information, visit https://boyerotwnoptimist.org.