City Market Donates Proceeds from 23rd Annual Tree Sale

Co-op donates over $14,600 to COTS and $6,925 to the Intervale Center

Burlington, VT – Last month, City Market offered its 23rd Annual COTS Tree Sale to benefit Vermont’s Committee on Temporary Shelter. City Market once again sold fresh balsams from Moffatt’s Tree Farm in Craftsbury, Vermont, this year expanding the sale to both store locations for the first time. The Co-op sold over 700 trees starting on Wednesday, December 2 and the net proceeds were donated to COTS. City Market continued the “Buy a Tree, Plant a Tree” program for the third year in a row.

For each tree purchased, City Market donated funding for the Intervale Center to plant a tree in Vermont; these plantings will take place in the spring of 2021. City Market staff, Co-op Members, and community volunteers assisted customers with trees throughout the sale.

City Market’s Annual COTS Tree Sale is one of a number of ways that the Co-op works to support the entire community and this particular sale has truly become a community event! This year’s successful sale took over 80 volunteers (volunteering a total of over 360 hours), and community members who support COTS through tree purchases and additional donations. COTS is Vermont’s largest service provider to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They are a nationally recognized, Vermont non-profit that provides emergency shelter, services, housing and prevention outreach to families and children.

John Tashiro, City Market’s General Manager, shares, “The COTS Tree Sale always marks the start of a special time at the Co-op, but this year more than ever, we’re so appreciative of the support for COTS and the work of our staff and volunteers who make this event possible! We sold a record number of trees this year in just a matter of days all while implementing new safety measures and expanding the sale to both store locations. We’re grateful for the continued community support for this event which has now raised over $173,000 for COTS since its inception.”

Co-op staff will present a check totaling $14,678.02 to the COTS team and a check totaling $6,925.58 to the Intervale Center team on January 6th. The Annual Tree Sale to benefit COTS has been held at the Co-op for the past 23 years, bringing the total donation to over $173,000. If you missed the tree sale and would like to donate to COTS, please visit them online at https://cotsonline.org/donate/.