Stephen Gergely owner of the Maple Avenue Christmas Tree Farm donated nearly fifty trees this afternoon to the Southport Business Association. These trees will be used to help decorate Christmas Land which is located behind the Southport Fire Department.
“Steve Gergely and the Maple Avenue Tree farm have been donating trees to the Christmas Land for a long time…” Said David Ellis of the Town of Southport. Gergely says the Christmas tree farm has been in his family since 1974 and he has been donating the Christmas trees to the town of Southport for nearly twenty years.
Christmas Land, what the trees were donated for, originated on Hazel street in the early 1950’s as the creation of Fran and Dottie Jelliff. But by 1986 the aging Jelliff’s decided to give up the display, however, wanting to keep the tradition in Southport, the Southport Business Association along with others took over the display.
Dave Ellis says, “That’s what we’re doing today, we’re picking up trees and we’re taking them over to Christmas Land Southport Business Association a lot of businesses and people that are in the Southport business association have been doing a lot of work over there at Christmas Land for many years, so that’s what we’re doing we’re just taking the trees over and then they’re going to be setting up and getting things ready for the displays there.”
Gergely is excited to give back to the community and to make people smile when they go to see the display, “Well it just feels like doing something for the community, you know as much as you can do.”
Maple Avenue Tree Farm opens up for business on November 25th and the Christmas Land display will be lit following a parade being held on December 2nd at 4:30PM. It’s also said that Santa will make an appearance following the parade.