Muncie Kiwanis cancel Christmas tree lot again this year
MUNCIE — The Kiwanis Club of Muncie announced this week that, for the second year in a row, the club will not have its traditional Christmas tree sale.
According to Paul Zedekar, president of the club, while there were still some concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest issue was that trees are not available. “Our members contacted our usual suppliers with no luck and then reached out to other suppliers, but again, had no luck,” Zedekar said in a release.
The club was told that needle drop disease and other tree blight issues have affected the supplies. “The tree farms have to supply the large retailers first and that means smaller tree-selling efforts, like ours, just can’t get any trees,” said Zedekar, noting that the same supply issues, plus concerns about COVID-19 also canceled last year’s tree lot.
The Kiwanis tree lot is a longstanding holiday tradition, dating back decades, for the Muncie community. A Muncie Evening Press report from December 1949 referred to a goal of selling 3,000 trees in what appears to have been the sale's first year.
The money raised by the tree sale each year supports the club’s local activities to serve youth, such as the Terrific Kid program, free dictionaries to third-graders throughout the county and a new, gift-wrapped book to every child in local Head Start programs during the holiday season.
To help offset the loss of the Christmas tree fundraising, the club is selling 2.25 lb. cans of roasted gourmet nuts and 2 lb. tins of chocolate-covered nuts and pretzels. The items sell for $25 each and are on sale from Kiwanis members and at the following businesses during business hours:
Harkin Eye Care, 2304 N. Wheeling Ave.
Leaird Scuba, 1623 W. Jackson St.
Goosehead Insurance, 2809 W. Godman Ave.
Those wishing to purchase items can also message the club on Facebook at facebook.com/kiwanisclubofmuncie.
Tretick family to remember mother with memorial concert, endowment
MUNCIE — Young musicians and their teachers are likely familiar with the name Patricia Tretick: violinist, violist, lifelong music educator and Ball State University School of Music faculty member who judged various young artist competitions across the state.
When she died in January 2020, her children started an endowment in her name to support the Young Artist Competition hosted annually by Muncie Symphony Orchestra.
To officially launch the endowment, as well as to honor their mother’s legacy, the five Tretick siblings will come together — traveling from across the country — to perform a memorial concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, at Sursa Hall.
All five children are professional musicians. Stephanie is a violinist and violist in Pittsburgh, Blythe is a cellist in Phoenix, Clifford is a flutist in Virginia, Noelle is a violinist in Indianapolis and Drew is a violinist and violist in Los Angeles.
“The last time we all played a concert together was when we were soloists with the Muncie Symphony in January of 1986,” Noelle said. “Whenever we get together, ensemble is in our DNA. When we play, we seem to breathe at the same time.”
In addition to the Tretick siblings performing together on stage for the first time in decades, the memorial concert will feature photos and videos of Patricia. Her two grandsons, Alexei and Anthony, will also contribute to the performance. Alexei will play piano, and Anthony will manage the audio and visual elements.
The concert is free and open to the public. For those who cannot make it to the live performance, the concert will be livestreamed simultaneously at sites.bsu.edu/musiclive/.
Donations to the Patricia Tretick Young Artist Competition will be accepted at the concert. Donations also can be made online at munciesymphony.org, or via check (made payable to Muncie Symphony Orchestra) mailed to Muncie Symphony Orchestra, c/o Patricia Tretick Young Artist Competition Donations), P.O. Box 1236, Muncie, IN 47308
Radio comic Donnie Baker to appear at Cornerstone
MUNCIE — Ron Sexton, appearing as his alter ego Donnie Baker, known for his appearances on the syndicated Bob and Tom Show, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 at Cornerstone Center for the Arts, 520 E. Main St., Muncie, in the E. B. Ball Auditorium.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission or $40 for VIP seats closer to the stage. Tickets are available at MadHatterShows.com. Parents are advised to use caution in bringing children younger than 14 to the show.
Information: cornerstonearts.org.
News items can be sent to The Star Press at news@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie Kiwanis cancel Christmas tree lot again this year
