Trees for Tots registration is open in Guelph and surrounding areas

Residents in Guelph, Ont., who are looking to donate their Christmas trees after the holidays are in luck.

Registration is open for the Children’s Foundation of Guelph Wellington’s Trees for Tots program.

Amanda Kavchak, director of marketing and communications, said volunteers will collect the trees on Jan. 11.

“So, we get 250 volunteers on the roads in trucks, and they go around and pick up all of the trees and they chip them, and they get returned to nature through walking trails at the Guelph Arboretum and the Ignatius Jesuit Centre,” Kavchak said.

She said the fundraiser started after curbside tree collection was removed by the city many years ago. The initiative is entering its 12th year in 2025.

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The program also serves the Town of Puslinch and the Village of Rockwood.

Kavchack said the contributions will also support youth in the community.

“That’s going to help kids get nutritious meals, whether it’s in school or at home on the weekends. It’s going to get them access to sports and recreation, mental health support to tutoring,” she said.

This past year, the fundraiser collected over 3,600 trees and raised over $93,000 for youth and local children.

Kavachak said you’ll also be eligible for a tax receipt.

“The tax receipt will be for $10 less than the contribution you make, so for example if you make a $30, you would receive a $20 tax receipt,” she said.

The tax receipts are issued for $10 less due to CRA guidelines regarding benefit or advantages associated, according to the Children’s Foundation website. It’s to align with the fee charged by the city for residents who drop off their trees at the waste facility on Dunlop Street.

You can register your tree online for a minimum contribution of $15.

She said you can also donate even if you don’t have a real tree. The organization partnered with a local candle-making business, so you can have the scent of a real tree in your home “without the cleanup.” You can purchase a Trees for Tots candle for $16, with $5 of every purchase being donated back to the program.

The deadline to register is on Jan. 7.