Baseball team keeps the Christmas tree tradition alive
A vacant lot. Trees stand waiting to be bought after school has ended. Every year for the past twenty three years, baseball players stand in the cold, selling trees to help fund their team. “Friday morning early we have all the players and the dads unload the trees.” Says Coach bayer, “Usually the lot itself is physically put up the week before and is ready and prepared so once the trees come we can go ahead and replenish the lot and by about noon on black Friday it officially opens”.
December 8, 2018
Bells and the sound of carolers ring in the air. People walk around, shopping bags filled with gifts wrapped around their arms. Everyone is getting ready for the holiday season. The only thing missing from the holiday decor is the Christmas tree. Some gather at South Forsyth High School, hoping to find the perfect tree.
Since Black Friday, South’s baseball team has been selling Christmas trees for the citizens of Forsyth County. This has been a long-held tradition at the school as a way to raise money for the baseball team. The money goes towards uniforms, travel expenses, field care, and facilities.
“Tree sales is a big tradition for the baseball program at the school,” shares Coach Bayer. “They have been doing it for 23 years now ever since South was a much smaller school. Every year, usually by the end of August, we […] have about fifteen or twenty families email us with early orders that have been buying for the last 15-20 years, so it is a great thing tradition-wise. I think we are one of the longest lasting local tree lots in Forsyth County.”
The trees are bought from North Carolina and are sure to last through the holiday season. The baseball team recognizes hard work and puts in the dedication necessary to make sure their sales are successful. Each baseball player has to volunteer a total of three times to work three hours shifts.
“It is fun and cold but it’s worth it because it helps the baseball team in the end,” states junior Josh Green. “I have done it for three years now and I think I have done it like eight or nine times.”
With only about half of their lot sold, the boys have a long way to go before they are ready to pack up the lot for the season. As for the baseball season, the players are excited and feel confident about doing well.
“I think it will be fun,” says junior Peyton Rawlins. “We should be pretty good region wise but, even if we are not good, we still have a lot of fun because we are all really close.”
The first game of the season is still to be decided. For updates on the team, visit https://twitter.com/sofonation?lang=en
