Sequim Gazette staff

The reins for the Kiwanis Club of Sequim-Dungeness’ festive fundraiser are in the hands of the Sequim High School Choir Boosters.

Parents plan to sell Christmas trees from the Sequim Village Shopping Center parking lot to raise funds for its various activities, such as going to Carnegie Hall next year.

Choir director John Lorentzen said 130 students make up the concert, select and vocal ensemble choirs and he anticipates 40 to 60 students planning to perform in Carnegie Hall.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to do this and inherit this from the Kiwanis,” Lorentzen said.

The decision to turn over the sales comes from the Kiwanis after the club disbanded in the summer due to lack of membership. This month would have been the club’s 41st anniversary.

They turned their other major fundraiser, patriotic bunting, over to KSQM radio last spring.

Gil Oldenkamp, Kiwanis tree sales coordinator, said in recent years sales have been down. Last year they sold 227 trees for nearly $4,000 to help local charities but they’ve sold more than 300 trees in other years.

Oldenkamp said it feels bittersweet to stop selling trees.”I’ve been selling trees for 40 years and I started when my boys were Scouts and I transitioned with the Kiwanis,” he said.

Scott Gordon, choir booster president, said they set a goal to increase sales and are doing a presale for people by e-mailing him at sequim choirboosters@gmail.com for more information. Trees come from Lazy J Farm.

About Kiwanis of Sequim-Dungeness

Chartered in September 1972, the Kiwanis of Sequim-Dungeness donated proceeds from its fundraisers to many local nonprofits and activities.

Some of those include college scholarships, restoring used bikes for Foster Families and First Teacher, sponsoring the Sequim Middle School poetry contest, working with the Sequim PC Users Group to redistribute computers, leading Key Club, giving a book to every Sequim elementary student, donating to yearbooks for high school seniors in foster families, the SHS senior graduation party, bicycle helmet program, the Boys & Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Healthy Families, the gazebo in Carrie Blake Park, community benches, Sequim Irrigation Festival, the campaign to start SARC, flower baskets, Sequim Food Bank, Olympic Theatre Arts, Sequim Community Aid, Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic and Camp Beausite, formerly Northwest Kiwanis Camp for children with special needs.