Bah humbug. A week after CHS wrote about the loss of a space for its annual tee lot, Seattle Area Support Groups announced Monday that is will bring an end to the holiday tradition and fundraiser.
Calling the search for a new Capitol Hill location to host the annual sale “fruitless,” SASG executive director Joshua Wallace announced the decision in a letter to supporters. “SASG is very sad to share with you that this tradition appears to have come to an end,” he writes.
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The nonprofit SASG was founded in 1984 as the Seattle AIDS Support Group but expanded to include groups building communities around specific HIV issues and other recovery assistance like addiction.
CHS reported last week on a decision by Kaiser Permanente not to offer space in its parking area near 17th and Thomas for the annual Christmas tree sale benefitting SASG.
This would have been the 29th year of the tree sale on Capitol Hill.
To find out more about SASG and supporting the organization through its loss of the important fundraiser, visit sasgcc.org.
The full letter from SASG announcing the decision to cancel the holiday tree lot is below.
Thanks Kaiser Permanente.
So why did they insist that it HAVE to be right in the middle of the tiny, insular microcosm of Capitol Hill? That was myopic. I get they wanted it to be close to where the community recognized it, for all these years. But the community has expanded into adjacent areas much broader than that limited area. It sounded like they didn’t even try to find space in, for example, the Central District. Really– what difference did it make? It’s not like the majority of people buying trees dragged them home on foot. Not fair to just blame Kaiser Permanente.
Bummer! Any recommendations on other local orgs going the christmas tree route for their end of year fundraiser?
Stevens Elementary has a great tree sale held at the school each year. 19th and Galer.
Yeah, I guess I’ll be snagging my tree at Stevens this year. Doesn’t look like they’ve announced the date yet, but it’ll be here when they do:
http://stevenspta.org/events/2018-12/
Everyone who’s anyone knows that the folks in the Grocery Outlet parking lot have the dominant trees anyway.
This is no loss, IMO…
This is true, and they do a bang-up business from all of the surrounding CD and Capitol Hill. But they’re not non-profit. Maybe there’s still time for SASG to work with those sellers to supply volunteers that could work for tips, and maybe even a cut of the sales.