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Christmas Tree Delivery Takes The Hassle Out Of 1 Holiday Tradition

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Some families have a tradition - buy or cut down a Christmas tree, then tie it to the top of the car to drive home. Other families would rather not take the trouble. And in the pandemic, all families have to think about shopping trips.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Which got Rene Ackerson thinking.

RENE ACKERSON: My husband and I were really brainstorming ideas of, you know, what was going to be upcoming for the next year or two, how we can help people in the future. And in the past, getting a Christmas tree for us has always been a hassle.

MARTIN: Their solution is the Holly Jolly Christmas Tree Delivery Service. They partnered with a tree farm in Maine. Elves, even Santa, deliver.

ACKERSON: If you look at some of the reviews and the comments from our customers literally telling us this really made their kids' holiday season because, you know, they had Santa come to their house.

INSKEEP: They're nearly sold out of trees this year, but they plan to do it again.

ACKERSON: Oh, absolutely. I have to tell you, almost all of our customers this holiday season were like, see you next year.

INSKEEP: Rene Ackerson founded the Holly Jolly Christmas Tree Delivery Service.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS")

BURL IVES: (Singing) Have a holly, jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.