Christmas trees keep giving for Camp Prime Time

YAKIMA, Wash. -- If you've ever wanted to see a really big stack of old Christmas trees, the place to be is Barnett Implement on Fruitvale Boulevard in Yakima.

Better yet, bring your own tree and add it to the pile. After all, it's for a good cause.

For the better part of 20 years, volunteers have been manning a chipping service at Barnett Implement as a fundraiser for Camp Prime Time, which operates a recreational facility near White Pass for seriously or terminally ill children and their families.

The tree-chipping service is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Jan. 10. There is no charge, but all donations go directly for camp operations.

"Some people don't even have trees," volunteer and camp board member Ralph Berthon said Saturday. "They just pull up, make a donation and drive off."

Even though Saturday was New Year's Day, volunteers weren't taking the day off. Neither was the post-Christmas public, judging from the steady stream of tree drop-offs that kept volunteers busy in the sunny but freezing weather.

Berthon said the service had already raised $3,000 and should do a lot better over the next week or so, especially next weekend.

Last year volunteers raised about $15,000, Berthon said, emphasizing the chipped trees are recycled in the form of mulch and other uses, like sawdust for corrals.

With Camp Prime Time getting ready to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Berthon said volunteers are anxious about finishing off an ambitious expansion and upgrade of the camp lodge.

The board has raised $1.1 million for the expansion, but the total cost for the capital project is estimated at $1.5 million. A capping grant is in place for $150,000, but it kicks in only if the remaining balance is raised first, Berthon said.

Located near Clear Lake, off U.S. Highway 12 about seven miles east of White Pass, the camp serves close to 1,000 campers with special health problems each summer.

"About 60 percent of our kids come from the west side (of the state), so we'd really like to broaden our message," he said.

As for the chipping service, he said the effort goes beyond the volunteers on site. Several organizations and businesses donate materials and supplies, such as the temporary power pole that Pacific Power hooks up for the job shack.

The trees themselves won't actually get chipped until the end, which explains why the pile is getting bigger and bigger.

Berthon said volunteers can throw the trees only so high before the footprint of the pile begins to grow. Meanwhile, the rhythm of drop-offs ebbs and flows -- especially on Sundays.

"You can really tell when it's halftime of a game," he said, " 'Cause they really start to flood in then. It's like clockwork."

* Chris Bristol can be reached at 509-577-7748 or cbristol@yakimaherald.com.