Despite a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow Sunday, Boy Scout Troop 3 spent the afternoon outside for their third annual Christmas tree haul.
The scouts collected 31 discarded Christmas trees for a donation, and made about $350 in an hours work. Parents and scout leaders with trucks drove the boys around Burlington in smal groups to remove the trees from the curb.
The money earned from the fundraiser will be used toward purchasing camping equipment or to keep costs for monthly campouts at a reasonable price, said Mike Pintar, a charter representative for the troop.
Pintar said the fundraiser allows the boy scouts to understand the work that goes into raising money for the campouts.
“One of the reasons we do this is we want to make scouting affordable to every boy,” said Scout Master Don Schier.
Once collected, the scouts loaded the trees into committee member Kevin Trimble’s trailer. Kevin Trimble takes the trees home and either donates them to his friends who have ponds or burns them.
Boy Scout Nick Trimble participated in the event last year, now distinguished as a “veteran” tree hauler by the other scouts. He said the event allows the scouts to help residents who are incapable of dragging the trees out of their homes and transporting them somewhere else.
For many, that incapability of removing old Christmas trees from their homes was elevated by a thin glaze of ice covering most sidewalks and some roads. A winter weather advisory was in place yesterday, and should have ceased last night, according to meteorologist Tom Philip of the National Weather Service at Quad Cities.
“We’re expecting slick travel conditions on any untreated roads and walkways from the freezing rain,” said Philip. “It just freezes right up on contact because the ground temperatures are below freezing.”
A few minor car accidents were reported because of the icy roads, but nothing major, according to the Burlington Police department Sunday afternoon.
The weather didn’t stop the boy scouts, who Schier said made a commitment and will get it done.
Burlington resident Deb Bowen signed up to have her tree removed by the boy scout troop because she said she believes in what the scouts do. A former girl scout herself, scouting serves as a tradition in her family. Both of her daughter participated in girl scouts, and when her son was younger he was a part of troop 3.
Bowen, who has participated in the tree haul all three years, said the scouts found a need in the community and filled it. The city of Burlington stopped collecting discarded trees, and when the service ended Bowen found herself leaving her tree outside by the garage until spring when she could take it to the recycling center. It was a pain and looked terrible, she said.
“It’s well worth the money to support the scouts in a worthwhile project that no one else around town is doing,” Bowen said.
While the scouts made it through the tree haul in the freezing rain, conditions should remain dry today through Wednesday, when a light drizzle is possible, said Philip. A chance of rain is forecasted for Thursday.
Temperatures are predicted to rise this week, with today’s high in the mid-30s degrees fahreneheit. Tuesday through Thursday should even rise into the 40s, before dropping back down into the 20s for another “shot of cold air” after this week’s mild spell, said Philip.