By LIZZIE BOWEN | Staff Writer

CHELSEA — Chelsea is readying to host its annual Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Chelsea Community Center Pavilion.

Chelsea is deemed “Tree City USA” which is a designation given by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Arbor Day celebration is an annual celebration which offers giveaways of bare root seedlings and door prize giveaways of larger potted trees.

Tree Commissioner Paula Davis said she has been attending this celebration for at least 10 years. This year and last year, the Arbor Day Celebration has been held concurrently with the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at the Chelsea Community Center, and Davis encouraged anyone who is attending the pancake breakfast to also attend the Arbor Day Celebration.

“It has been getting larger every year as the word gets out that we are having these,” Davis said. “A lot of people love to come and see what it’s all about.”

The event is held outdoors and Davis said the event will typical see a few hundred people attend.

“I think events like this help create a stronger sense of community,” Davis said. “We are trying to promote the idea that Chelsea places an emphasis on trees and that our natural environment is something we want to emphasize. We are giving away these items, the trees, that will help draw the community together. Today, anything that we can do to draw our community together and draw it closer is important.”

Davis said in conjunction with Arbor Day and the community, Long Leaf Pine Seedlings, the official tree of Alabama, will be given to every fourth grader who attends who attends a Chelsea City School.

More information on the Chelsea Arbor Day Celebration can be found at Cityofchelsea.com. More information on Arbor Day can be found at Arborday.org