Did you know, that since 2020, the Bexley Community Foundation has been funding a free tree giveaway for Bexley residents to win a new tree? In celebration of Arbor Day, which is celebrated in Bexley throughout the month of April, residents can enter a tree raffle in hopes of winning a free tree.

The Territory of Nebraska hosted the first Arbor Day on April 10, 1882. Today all fifty states celebrate Arbor Day and most celebrate it on the last Friday in April. In 2014 Bexley was accredited by the Morton Arboretum in Chicago as the First Municipal Arboretum in the United States.

A highlight of Bexley’s Arbor Day festivities is the Tree Giveaway Raffle. This year, we have partnered with Yard Barbers to deliver the trees and plant them for residents. Plus, a Yard Barbers employee will discuss the best placement for the tree with each resident as well as proper watering and care procedures. This step will help ensure viability for the tree. An April Bexley Blast will note the details on how and when to register for the raffle.

In 2021, Bexley resident, Vincent Roadcap was the lucky winner of a free tree. In touching base with Vincent about his tree he shared, “This tree has special meaning for us because we adopted our son in 2021. He is growing and blooming each year right along with it. It’s a real “family tree”.”

Since 2020, over 325 trees have been given away! Jay Sterling Morton noted “Each generation takes the earth as trustees. We ought to bequeath to posterity as many forests and orchards as we have exhausted and consumed.” The 2024 Bexley Arbor Day Tree Giveaway funded by the Bexley Community Foundation offers residents the opportunity to become this generation’s trustees and watch their family trees grow.