850 GOOD NEWS: Behind the scenes, bringing this Bay County Christmas tree lot to life

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - We’re taking you behind the scenes to a place where the holiday season doesn’t start with lights or music-- but with a semi-truck, five-hundred-fifty trees and a whole lot of volunteers.

The boys and girls club of bay county has been building this Christmas tradition for 36 years.
And getting this lot ready-- is what makes this 850 good news.

Before most of us even think about the holidays, the Bay County Boys and Girls Club team is already in full Christmas mode months early.

“Christmas tree season at the Boys and Girls Club starts in August,” said Hank Hill, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County.

That early start matters.
They’re locking in how many trees they can get and working with growers in North Carolina to make it happen.

By November, the game plan gets more precise.
Every tree has an exact spot.

“We have 550 trees that are coming off this truck, and it’s got to be kind of flawless,” said Hill.

Then-- tradition rolls in. Literally. “The truck rolls in and at about 8 o’clock, we start unloading trees,” said Hill.

Color-coding by size and price; all that work, for a purpose much bigger than even this lot.

“It looks like Christmas trees, but it’s really about Boys and Girls here in Bay County,” said Hill.

Nearly a hundred volunteers-- college athletes, business owners, first responders, even inmates-- all giving their time.

“They’re going to carry about four or five trees a piece,” said Hill.

The trees are down in about an hour-- but they’re still not done. “We’ll come back through, cut all the ropes off the Christmas trees and stand ‘em up,” said Hill.

And this year, even the weather played along.

“It really is about Christmas spirit. It’s cold this morning and kind of sets the mood,” said Hill.

For hank, this tradition is personal.

“We get our Christmas tree here every year. We get about a seven- to eight-footer,” said Hill.

The fundraiser helps the club serve almost fifteen-hundred kids a year.

And of course, when you pick your tree, you’ll get their famous yellow glove service.

“We’ll carry your tree up to the tent, we’ll actually load it into your vehicle,” said Hill.

And yes-- that includes a family photo because a good tree lot doesn’t just send you home with a tree, but with a memory...

Just like the one this community has been building for 36 years-- one truck, one volunteer, one tree at a time.

The Bill “H.” Haisten Christmas tree lot is now open across from the Bill Cramer Chevrolet dealership in Panama City.
Every purchase supports local kids and comes with that yellow glove-- and yes-- selfie service.

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