ORANGE — Members of the Orange Fireman’s Relief Association are offering to pick up and discard residents’ Christmas trees on the second weekend of the new year.
Orange Fire Lt. Jason Rushford said an association member will stop by a residence to remove a tree at a prearranged time on Jan. 9 or, if necessary, Jan. 10. He said this is probably the fourth year the association has offered this service.
“This year will be difficult because of COVID,” he said. “It’s usually a couple of people per truck, but this year we have to run it differently.”
Association members use privately-owned pickups; no town vehicles are used. Trees will be picked up if they are left at the curb or at the end of a driveway. The typical contactless collection is emphasized this year due to the pandemic.
There is a minimum suggested donation of $5 that will go toward the association’s charitable endeavors, such as college scholarships for local students, contributions to charities and events, yearly steak dinners for retired Orange firefighters, and the maintenance of equipment not funded by the town.
“If someone can’t afford it, we’ll still help them out,” Rushford added.
Anyone with questions or interested in scheduling a time can call or text 978-413-2803, though sending an email to ofdtreepickup@gmail.com is the most effective way to communicate. People are asked not to contact the Orange Fire Department about this service.
Rushford said this will be the second straight year the collected Christmas trees are donated to the Millers River Beagle Club in Royalston. He said the club takes apart the trees and uses them to provide rabbits with protection from natural predators. Nearly 40 trees were collected last year.
Rushford, who is also the president of the association, which consists of Orange’s on-call force, said he came up with the idea after seeing on Facebook that this service is provided in Williamsburg. It serves as a fundraiser, in addition to the raffle that is typically held in the fall.
“It makes sense for us. Everyone was on board and we have fun doing it,” Rushford said of the association’s roughly 15 members. “It just builds camaraderie. We get to see each other in a non-emergency situation.”
Check donations can be made out to the Orange Fireman’s Relief Association, 18 Water St., Orange, MA 01364.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.