The Deep River Chester Lions Club regrets to inform our valued community members that we will not be selling Christmas trees outside Deep River Hardware this winter. This decision was not made lightly and involved significant thought and deliberation. Due to rising costs in the Christmas tree market, we found it impossible to offer trees without increasing prices—by as much as 60%—just to break even. Rob Lunn, our Tree Sale Committee chairman, has been working diligently to source affordable, high-quality trees. He has contacted and visited tree farms across the East Coast, but unfortunately, most farms are dealing with the same challenges. A drought several years ago severely impacted the growth of young trees, and many farms are now experiencing reduced quality and availability for harvest. In the past, we were fortunate to partner with a distributor who enabled us to sell trees at an accessible price. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a comparable supplier to meet our needs for this year. Rest assured, we're already preparing for the 2025 season to ensure a smooth return to our Christmas tree sale tradition.

While we cannot hold the tree sale this year, we'd like to remind our community that funds raised through this event directly support our annual Senior Dinner, scheduled for January. This event offers a free meal to local seniors. It will be hosted at the Congregational Church in Deep River (1 Church Street) as a drive-through event. To reserve a meal, call Deep River Hardware at 860-526-2776 and provide your name and the number of dinners you would like to reserve.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding during this challenging time. Our club remains committed to serving our community and finding ways to ensure the sustainability of our programs in the years to come.

Lisa Berube

Deep River Chester Lions Club