Grace United Church members mark 100th anniversary with tree sales and community giving

Young shoppers got in on the tree-buying fun as Rylee, Jenn and Liam Weldrick were helped by church members Wayne Shewfelt and Bill Brown. Elizabeth Halliday  photo

By Gary West

The front parking lot of Grace United Church in Tavistock was bustling with activity Saturday morning as members of the congregation sold trees in celebration of the United Church of Canada’s 100th anniversary.

In addition to the tree sale, members of the church undertook two other projects in recognition of the milestone: collecting 100 boxes of pens and markers to send to northern communities and donating 100 personal care items to Shelterlink in Stratford.

The initiative was organized by Carol and Wayne Shewfelt, who reported that nearly all the trees were sold by Sunday, following the church’s anniversary service.

The Shewfelt group expressed their gratitude to everyone who supported the project and reminded residents that the church’s Middle-Aged Pews group will once again be selling Christmas trees this year.

A variety of trees will be available on the front lawn of Mike and Beth Elliott’s home on William Street North in Tavistock, around the time of the annual Santa Claus Parade in late November. Shoppers can also look forward to spotting Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Christmas crew – familiar figures that reappear each holiday season to signal the arrival of fresh, local trees.

The weather cooperated beautifully for the event, with sunny skies and mild temperatures – ideal conditions for transplanting new trees before the rain set in.