NORTH MANKATO — North Mankato Knights of Columbus are experiencing an abundance of Christmas trees on hand at the parking lot members run as a fundraiser to support local programs.
Council 5551 members have since Nov. 29 been selling their tall pines for $100 and up. But Knights volunteering at the pop-up sale site in the Circle Inn parking lot on Belgrade Avenue will now accept monetary donations for the remaining 40 or so trees.
“We will take free-will donations — and we understand some families may be struggling and won’t be able to pay for a Christmas tree,” said John Kuchinka, a longtime member of Council 5551.
Last year at this time, the Knights had to end the fundraiser ahead of schedule after their stock of trees was depleted.
“Our supplier had a shortage of trees,” Kuchinka said.
Drought, over a period of about two years, took its toll on Christmas tree farm’s crops in 2023, including the Sleepy Eye area farm that supplies Council 5551.
“Every year the North Mankato Knights of Columbus sells Christmas trees as one of their major fundraisers. All proceeds support local organizations within the Mankato-North Mankato area,” Kuchinka said.
He said this is not the first year the organization was not able to empty its sale lot in lower North Mankato.
“In the past, we’ve given the leftovers to a guy for his goats … they love to eat them … but we don’t want to feed these trees to goats”
Trees will be available through Saturday or as long as they are in stock at the lot, 232 Belgrade Ave. Knights will be there 4:30-6:30 p.m. through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. When not available outdoors, members may be found warming up in a camper parked at the lot.
Kuchinka is hoping the people who can afford to pay a decent price for trees loosen their purse strings.
“We are raising money for about 25 organizations … and it all stays in the local community.”