It’s officially winter in the North Shore, and that means one thing: that the boys of New Trier’s Tri-Ship are bundling up and holding their annual Christmas tree sale.
Each year, dedicated members of Tri-Ship hold this tree sale, which started on November 29th and will continue until December 22nd, when Winter Break begins.
When asked about planning for the sale, club sponsor Scott Fricke said, “[It] starts when it the tree sale ends the previous year.” The club reviews the profit and begins making adjustments to what they need to order for the following year.
Trees cost about ten dollars per foot, and are bought from Echo Hill Farms in Virginia. Tri-Ship spends approximately $45,000 to purchase their annual sale inventory. Trees are not the only things for purchase. Tri-Ship also sells wreaths and garlands, and according to senior Andrew Gjertsen, “It’s all for a good cause.” Proceeds from the sale provide need-based scholarships for students who qualify for financial aid throughout college.
When customers come to the Tri-Ship sale, they can rest assured that they are in good hands. The boys ask what height range they are looking for, trim it and tie it up on the car as well. Senior Danny Hines added, “We do deliver if it’s close, and veteran tree buyers can also bring their stand to the tree sale and we’ll set it up in the stand for them.”
However, Tri-Ship does more than just the tree sale. They recently held a canned food drive that was successful. It went so well that ABC News came to New Trier to see what it was all about. They also help run the Homecoming Dance each year, and they put on a steak sales every year.
The members of Tri-Ship are extremely dedicated to the tree sale—even when a shipment of trees that was supposed to get there at 2:00 P.M. didn’t arrive until 7:00 P.M. They are flexible and get the job done in order to have a great tree sale and raise money for the scholarships.
While the weather is cold, the hours are long, and it is a lot of hard work, the Tri-Ship boys are committed to raising money and having some fun as well. Support the boys of Tri-Ship by buying your Christmas tree from them this year.
The sale is located between the Winnetka campus tennis courts and the outdoor track from 3:30 to 7:00 on school days, 9:00 to 5:00 on Saturdays, and from 10:00 to 4:00 on Sundays.