news-record.com

HIGH POINT -- Even if you don't have enough money to buy your family or friends expensive gifts, you can get them one that they'll remember for a long time: a real Christmas tree.

And for free.

Kersey Valley Christmas in High Point is giving away 1,000 tall, stocky Fraser fir trees to anyone who makes the trip, said owner Tony Wohlgemuth.

Nearly 20 cars lined up Wednesday morning before the lot, at 1615 Kersey Valley Road, was supposed to open at 10 a.m.

Families in vans, trucks and sedans have been lining up ever since to carry a tree home to their relatives or to take a few trees to their disadvantaged neighbors. The lot will be offering the free trees until 5 p.m. today.

Nichole Patino of Greensboro took her children, Kateland, 14, and Isaac, 8, to pick out a tree because they didn't have money to buy a tree this year. As they were headed to cut a tree from a friend's lot, another friend called and told her about the tree giveaway at Kersey Valley Christmas.

"We feel it's a real blessing that she called us," Patino said.

Christmas is about Jesus Christ to her family, she said. They plan to sit around the tree to talk about what the holiday really means to them, she said.

"We're blessed," Patino said, her eyes welling up with tears.

For more information on collecting a free tree, visit www.kerseyvalleychristmas.com or call 431-1700.

Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7091 or dioni.wise@news-record.com