Trees raise money for schools

SBI Landscaping has purchased 350 Douglas and Noble Firs for a
Christmas tree lot on Old Redwood Highway that will raise funds for
the Windsor Educational Foundation.
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and
Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m the tree lot will be open until Dec. 23
with 350 Douglas and Noble Firs to choose from said the Windsor
Educational Foundation President, Kelly Faulkenberg.
She said SBI wanted to help the community and thought of a tree
lot themselves. “SBI is an entity into themselves and they decided
they wanted to do something good for the community this holiday
season and they contacted the district to find out how best to do
that,” she said.
SBI owners, Rod and Ron Matteri and managers said they came up
with the idea at a meeting. “We had actually had a meeting
brainstorming what we could give back to the community,” Rod said.
“We’re excited, we’ve been so fortunate and we just wanted to do
something to give back to the community,”
Both SBI staff and volunteers rounded up by the Windsor
Educational Foundation will be attending the tree lot. “It is a
group effort between my staff and the W.E.F. is having some
volunteers come out,” Rod said. “Some of the juniors and seniors
are using it as their community service hours so everyone is
pitching in.”
Faulkenberg said the Windsor Educational Foundation is looking
for volunteers to work at the tree lot. “We are looking at the
school sites and their club, group, or class to sell cider or
whatever,” she said. “We would like to have the high school chorus
or band or something like that come and perform.”
Malteri said local businesses have helped with the effort.
“Aaction Rents donated a tent and a lighting tower to keep it lit
at night and Garrett Hardware brought lights over and for every
light packet sold, a dollar will go to the W.E.F.,” he said.
SBI’s Marketing and Advertising Coordinator Ashley Cooper said
the Town of Windsor let SBI put signs up for free and some radio
stations have given them free advertising for the tree lot.
“Maverick Media, Froggy, Mix, KZST, KJZY, K 106.3, some (ads) we
paid for and some they gave us for free,” she said.
She said SBI bought the trees from a tree farm in Oregon and has
sizes ranging from two to nine feet tall. Cooper said there are
small tabletop trees selling for as little as $12 while the tallest
tree sells for $125.
Faulkenberg said the money from the tree lot is donated directly
to the schools. “The amount we bring in is distributed among all
eight schools in the district on a per capita basis. Every little
bit helps,” she said. “If people are so inclined that it fits into
their traditions this is a great way for them to help out their
schools, for their students, or grandchildren or just because.”