Now in its 21st year, the Giving Tree Project has become a staple of the Christmas season in Excelsior. The project is organized by the Excelsior Fire District and sponsored by Gary’s First Class Car Care. On December 2, Christmas trees are placed outside businesses in downtown Excelsior, where community members and shoppers can add ornaments and trimmings to the trees. Businesses and organizations can also adopt a tree to decorate. Before Christmas, the trees are donated to families in need via ResourceWest, a nonprofit serving low-income families in the Lake Minnetonka area. “We are fortunate enough to live in an area where a lot of people are financially secure,” says Excelsior fire district marshal Kellie Murphy-Ringate. “But there are people in our community who aren’t. This is a way to help them.”
Giving Trees are located in downtown Excelsior starting December 2.
