A group of 91原创 scouts raised $7,000 over two busy weekends of tree chipping in Walnut Grove.
In a letter to the 91原创 Township engineering division 1st Walnut Grove Scout Group commissioner Tony Yip thanked Township staffers for coming to their aid when the number of trees threatened to swamp the all-volunteer effort on the first day, Saturday Jan. 4.
It was an 鈥渆xceptionally busy day鈥� Yip wrote, and by 3 p.m. it was apparent there were more trees than the Township chipper truck, operated by volunteer Township staffers Dustin Strandberg and Devon Forsyth, could handle.
There were over 400 trees waiting at the Walnut Grove Secondary School site with more coming in.
鈥淲e needed to get the site cleared and clean by the end of day, otherwise it might jeopardize us using it in the future,鈥� Yip said.
Strandberg and Forsyth called in another Township staffer Vince Moes, who arrived with a dump truck.
The extra help allowed the scouts to finish loading and chipping trees by 9 p.m.
The second day of the tree chipping, Jan. 11, was 鈥渕ore manageable鈥� Yip said, with the assistance of two other Township staffers who volunteered their time, Tyler Halliday and Ryan Adams.
Over both weekends, the scouts disposed of 877 trees and raised over $7,000 in donations that will go toward program events and equipment.
Yip said the scouts truly appreciate the Township allowing employees to use Township equipment for volunteer community efforts like theirs.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 do it without you,鈥� Yip wrote.
The Walnut Grove Scouts have over 60 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers with 20 leaders.
The Township also received thank-you letters from the 10th 91原创 Scouts and the 1st Willoughby Scouts, who collected hundreds of other trees at other locations and other days throughout late December and early January.
