A holiday tradition in the west suburbs has returned with the Clarendon Hills Lions Club’s annual Christmas tree sale.
Now the group’s biggest fundraiser, the Lions Club began selling Christmas trees in 1965, and though some elements of the sale have changed, one aspect hasn’t changed in decades.
Jim Johnson, the man who has headed the tree sale for the Lions Club since 1992, said “our most loyal customer” again bought the biggest available tree, something he has been doing each year since moving to Clarendon Hills in 1977.
“Usually, we get about five of the really big trees each year, but this year we only got one, so I called John and told him it was his and would hold it for him,” Johnson said.
“John” is John Kroll, who appreciates the Lions Club’s tree selection each year.
“It’s become hard to find big, good-looking trees,” Kroll said. “It’s been great getting our trees each year from the Lions Club. We’ve always gotten really nice trees, their prices are very reasonable, and it all goes to a good cause. It’s a win, win, win, for everyone.”
Johnson said the Christmas tree sale has allowed the Lions Club to support numerous groups that provide critical services to sight- and hearing-disadvantaged and physically-disabled people throughout the western suburbs
“Since its inception, the tree sale has provided nearly $1 million to these worthy causes,” Johnson said. “In addition, during the years (1960s and 1970s) when Dutch Elm disease was killing the elm trees in Clarendon Hills, the Lions Club used some of the proceeds from the Christmas tree sale to plant more than 1,000 trees in the parkways of the village.”
The tree sale has been located at various locations around the village in the past.
“After construction of the Lions Park Pool was completed (in 1992), the Clarendon Hills Lions Club decided to permanently locate the tree sale on its own property near the pool and to install a permanent power supply in order to save on labor and set-up cost,” Johnson said. The sale has been set up every year since at the Lions Park Pool, 100 Byrd Court.
He said club members assemble in early November each year to set up the tree lot, erecting the stands, the lighting, signs, trailer and equipment. The Club has help from Boy Scouts Troop 51 for the setup and teardown.
“A week after we set up, the trees are delivered and have to be unloaded from the trucks, stacked according to size and type, priced, and put into the stands,” Johnson said.
The sale usually begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving and continues until the last tree is sold. This year, because of the late timing of Thanksgiving, the sale of trees began a week earlier. That will again be the case in 2025.
Sales are open from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“All these activities require about 800 man-hours each year, all from Clarendon Hills Lions Club volunteers,” Johnson said. “That’s why new members receive a pair of gloves the day they join the club, to remind them of the duty to follow the Lions motto… We Serve.”
In recent years the Lions Club has had help from the wrestling and baseball teams, the National Honors Society and Social Studies department at Hinsdale Central High School.
Johnson said over the years trees have come from as far away as Nova Scotia, Washington State and North Carolina as well as Wisconsin and Michigan.
Several varieties and sizes of trees are available, including Fraser Fir, Canaan Fir, Balsam, Douglas Fir, White Pine and Scotch Pine. Prices range from about $50 to about $210, Johnson said. Along with trees, the Lions Club sells Fraser Fir roping and wreaths.
“Our trees are inexpensive, compared to a lot of other places selling them,” he said. “We also do whatever we can to help people, including holding up trees for customer viewing, carrying trees, providing a fresh cut on the bottom and tying the tree onto the customer’s vehicle.”
The Lions Club started its sale this year with 550 trees.
“We’ll keep on selling until we have sold everything,” Johnson said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
