HELENA — A Helena Boy Scout Troop began an annual tradition of picking up Christmas trees around the community four years ago, and so far, they have disposed of roughly 1,200.
“Service just makes us feel good. And you know, feeling good always brings people back to the troop to do more activities,” said Boy Scout Bridger Webster.
The troop is made up of 41 scouts. Troop 218 has also assisted in the pick-up for the past three years.
Troop 214 started picking up trees after a storage unit holding nearly $5,000 worth of gear and equipment was burglarized.
While the Boy Scouts do not charge for pick-ups, tipping and donations are suggested.
“It helps pay for their outings. We do a lot of activities and campouts. All of that costs some sort of money to make it happen," Doug Wheeler, leader of Troop 214, said. "Plus, the troop has equipment that is needing to be maintained and sometimes replaced.”
Tri-County Disposal typically picks up trees, too, but they are not doing it this year to give the troop more business.
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) will sink the trees into Canyon Ferry this spring to support the perch habitat.
The scouts already have over 170 tree pick-ups scheduled for this year, and they will happen over the next two Saturdays.
“This year, it looks like it’s a little bit bigger, and I don’t know what the cause of that is. But we’re happy to pick up as many as people want us to,” said Wheeler.
You can schedule the Boy Scouts to pick up your tree by emailing troop214helena@gmail.com.
