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The sixth annual bonfire is a fundraiser for the Weston Warm-Up Fund. For a $30 donation, families can have their Christmas tree picked up and delivered to the church for the bonfire. They can also drop off trees at the church before 5 p.m. Saturday along with a requested $20 donation. The bonfire starts at 6 p.m.
"Parishioners volunteer to pick up the trees – it's a wonderful community event," said Dawn Egan, chair of the Weston Warm-Up Fund. "We raise about $3,000 a year, which helps subsidize oil for families in need. We help about 45 families a year in Weston."
Call the church office at 203-227-8565 to arrange a tree pick-up.
The bonfire will be supervised by the Weston Volunteer Fire Department, headed by Chief John Pokorny. The firefighters will stack trees and wreaths, start the bonfire and control the blaze until all the trees have been consumed. Then they’ll rake the ground and hose it down and join residents in the parish hall for free coffee and refreshments.
The annual bonfire was stopped during World War II when town air raid wardens prohibited open fires at night. It was revived in 2006 and has become a significant source of revenue for the Warm-Up Fund, which has been raising money for needy families for a quarter of a century. This year’s bonfire is being overseen by the Rev. Robert Ross, the recently appointed rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Every resident with a Christmas tree is invited to participate, and all can attend the bonfire at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 285 Lyons Plain Road.
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