2024 Giving Tree Fund

In the poem “The Giving Tree,” by Shel Silverstein, a tree and a boy become friends for life. In the beginning the tree is happy as the boy plays in his branches. Later in the boy’s life he wants money, so the tree tells the boy to sell his apples, and that makes the tree happy as well. As the boy grows older, he needs a house to raise a family. So, the tree tells the boy that it would make him glad if the boy took his branches and built a house. When the boy, now a man, wanted to travel far and see the world, the tree said that he would be pleased if the man took his trunk and made a boat. Near the end of his life the boy, now an old man, tells the stump of the tree that he just needs a place to rest. So, the tree tells the old man to sit on his stump and rest. Now, with the tree and the boy back together, the tree was happy once again.

When we lost half of a majestic old tree in the backyard of our office, it was clear that it was time to take this venerable old man down. We don’t know if our work here has made him happy, but we hope so. Thank you for helping to defray the costs of taking down this beautiful old tree.