Anyone who frequents Boonton and its surrounding towns during the holidays has driven past the Christmas Tree Sale in front of Peapack Private Bank & Trust. It’s charming. It’s a nostalgic small-town tradition. But most people think that a tree company rents the bank’s property for a few weeks to sell trees.
This tree sale is, in fact, the passion project of Peapack Private Bank & Trust President & CEO Doug Kennedy, who also happens to be a Mountain Lakes resident. “When we opened our Boonton location back in 2021, I knew I wanted to bring the Charity Christmas Tree Sale back. Being from the area, I remember the sales held on the property years ago, hosted by the Kiwanis Club. It felt very personal and was a great opportunity for us to give back to the community where we were establishing a new location,” says Kennedy.
What most people also don’t know is that 100% of the proceeds from the tree sale go to a local charity that is selected each year. The bank’s Facilities Manager, Steve Philip, organizes the order of 250 trees from wholesale tree seller Vincent Russomano, who sources trees from New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. The trees are delivered to Boonton just before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Once the trees are delivered, it’s all hands on deck. “Our tree sales are just plain fun. We have a lot of employee involvement, and it essentially turns into a team-building experience for everyone. It is a lot of hard work—we’ve done it in the rain and the snow—but everyone feels really good at the end, knowing they’ve done their part to help the community. It’s an extra bonus that our donations have increased each year,” says Kennedy.
Past recipients include nourish.NJ, Lakeland Hills Family YMCA, Sound Start Foundation, and Fighting Children’s Cancer Foundation. This year, the beneficiary will be the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Pantry located in Boonton. Kennedy says, “At the most basic level, we look for area organizations that are in need. We try to support local when we can and really use the tree sale to generate not only donations, but also awareness for their cause. We are very proud that each year 100% of the proceeds from the sale go directly to our selected beneficiary. We selected Loaves and Fishes Community Food Pantry because they provide vital support to our neighbors in need.”
The tree sale takes place in front of Peapack Private Bank & Trust at 104 Ely Place in Boonton. It runs for two weekends, November 28th through 30th, and December 5th through 7th. Times of operation are Fridays from 12 PM to 6 PM, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 6 PM. Cash, credit, and debit card payments are accepted.
The Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry is a joint venture of the Boonton United Methodist Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Boonton. It was founded in 2013 by Annette Thurkauf and has since moved to its larger location at 513 Birch Street in Boonton. They accept monetary and food donations all year long, with more information on their website at http://www.lfcfp.org. Donations of non-perishable food are also being collected at the tree sale.
Kennedy’s hope for the future is, “Since this is our fifth year hosting our Charity Christmas Tree Sale, we are hoping to exceed the $36,000 in donations collected last year. We expect that as this tradition continues each year, more and more residents and businesses will stop to buy a tree, donate, and get to know our beneficiary and the Bank.”
It’s an extra bonus that our donations have increased each year.