HILO — For seven decades, the The Hilo Y’s Men and Women’s Club has helped bring Christmas spirit to town with its annual Christmas tree sale — and this year is no different.
Volunteers from the National Guard Youth Challenge Academy worked Monday morning to unload the evergreens — fresh from Oregon — from a shipping container.
The trees were then set up in a nearby tent in the Ben Franklin Crafts parking lot, 333 Kilauea Ave. in Hilo, in preparation of the sale, which opens today and Wednesday to those who pre-ordered and prepaid for trees.
The sale opens to the public Friday and continues until the trees sell out, “which will probably be next week,” sale co-chair Lance Niimi said.
Then known at the Hilo Y’s Men Club, the group — a nonprofit, community service organization that supports the Hawaii Island YMCA — began its Christmas tree fundraiser in 1950.
“We want to bring Christmas happiness to our Hilo families,” fellow co-chair Bobby Stivers-Apiki said.
The long-running holiday sale now is “generational.”
“We have grandparents bringing their grandchildren because they came when they were kids with their parents,” he said.
Niimi said there are noble firs, grand firs, Nordmann firs ranging from 4-10 feet and Kirk “elf” trees which are 3 feet tall, as well as wreaths available this year.
Prices range from $66-$313, depending on the type of tree and size.
“And of course, our trees are a bit more expensive because it’s also a fundraiser,” Stivers-Apiki said.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit the YMCA and other community service projects, according to Niimi.
According to Stivers-Apiki, the group ordered 450 trees, or one shipping container, which is about the same as last year, and as of Monday morning, there were about 135 pre-orders.
The lot will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except for Sunday, when hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Live Christmas trees also can be found at other locations throughout Hilo.
Although some of its bigger trees are gone, KTA Super Stores’ Puainako location, which began selling trees on Friday, still had a “majority of the selection” of evergreens available Monday afternoon, front-end supervisor Devin Miura said.
KTA is selling Douglas, noble, Nordmann and grand firs. Prices range from $70 to $270, depending on the size and type of tree, he said.
The store brought in one 40-foot container this year, and trees are expected to sell out in about a week and a half.
Miura said interest in live Christmas trees is “more or less the same,” and added that it’s better to get a tree earlier.
The pines can be purchased from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except on Thanksgiving Day, when trees can be purchased from 9 a.m. to 2p.m.
Additionally, noble and Douglas fir varieties are available at Walmart. Prices posted at the store are $42-$108 for noble firs ranging from 3-5 feet to 8-9 feet. Douglas firs that are 6-7 feet tall are $52.
Shoppers also can find Nordmann, Douglas and noble firs ranging from 3 feet to 9-10 feet at The Home Depot. Prices range from almost $32 to about $200, depending on the type and size of the evergreen.
Email Stephanie Salmons at ssalmons@hawaiitribune-herald.com.