HILO – It was beginning to look and smell a lot like Christmas on Monday as volunteers unloaded one of Hilo’s first shipments of fir trees, each one freshly cut and ready for decoration.
By noon, the tent setup by the Hilo Y’s Men and Women Service Club as part of its annual fundraising sale was nearly full, with the scent of evergreens offering a cheerful welcome to the holiday season.
“It’s almost like we made a whole forest,” a volunteer commented as students from the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Academy prepared to unload the last of the shipment.
That forest will begin to be thinned Wednesday as the club starts its pre-sale of trees ordered in advance in the Ben Franklin Crafts parking lot. Proceeds benefit the Hawaii Island YMCA and Queen Lilioukalani Children’s Center.
But with 120 in stock and several hundred more ordered, there will be plenty of trees of all sizes left for those who wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start their Christmas countdown, organizers assured.
And, with shipments clearing quarantine, the club and retailers around Hilo said Christmas trees should not be in short supply.
“This time they came straight in,” said Bobby Stivers-Apiki, fundraiser co-chair.
That was a different story last year as the discovery of invasive slugs on some trees from the Pacific Northwest slowed shipments for the club and diverted others entirely.
KTA Super Stores was the hardest hit, with its 1,200-tree order failing to pass screening.
Debbie Arita, KTA administration assistant, said everything is running smoothly this year. The local supermarket’s Puainako store will begin selling trees Wednesday.
“Inspectors released them all from our container, so it’s all good,” she said.
Hilo’s Home Depot also got its first shipment Monday and will start selling trees Wednesday, an employee said.
One retailer has been selling trees for the last couple weeks.
“Normally, they come around this week, just before Thanksgiving, but we got them at the beginning of the month,” said a Walmart employee, who declined to give their name.
“We have no idea (why). We’re just stoked.”
For those looking for something grown locally, Paradise Plants is selling potted fir trees from the Big Island.
The service club is marking its 66th Christmas tree fundraiser this year.
While their trees can be a little more expensive than the retailers, co-chair Lance Niimi said the money goes to a good cause, and they always make sure to place the trees in water so they stay fresh longer.
“Our claim to fame is our trees are very well hydrated all the time,” he said.
The fundraiser also offered the Youth Challenge students an opportunity to give back to their community, said counselor Allen Bartolome.
“We want to show in life it’s very important to give back … to be successful citizens in the community,” he said.
Cadet Kaaina Campbell said the only thing that was missing was Christmas music.
Asked which tree he would prefer, he said that was simple.
“I’d pick the biggest one.”
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.