With his Eastcoast Custom Detailing business experiencing recent success, Gardner resident James White and his wife, Wendy, began to think about what they could do to help those in need as the holiday season approaches.

“Everybody does the gift and clothing drives, so I thought, ‘What about the trees?’” James said.

With that idea in mind, the couple will host a virtual silent auction on Thursday, Dec. 12, to raise money to provide Christmas trees to families in need across Franklin County and western Massachusetts.

Wendy resonated with the idea heavily since she grew up experiencing what it’s like to not have the traditional American Christmas experience.

“I came from a family that struggled really hard growing up,” Wendy said. “We didn’t have Christmases or birthdays, and we found out from a young age that that magic wasn’t where it was supposed to be, and I don’t want these families to feel that. The magic of the holidays deserves to be in everyone’s households.”

The Whites began posting announcements on Facebook to promote their cause, with the goal of raising enough money to purchase as many Christmas trees for as many families as possible for the upcoming holidays.

Businesses and individuals can fund entire trees or contribute to the purchase of one. By contributing $10, a donor will receive 10 tickets that place them higher in the silent auction bidding, with $70 sponsoring an entire tree. For silent auction prizes, they’ve collected items from donors, including an $80 tattoo certificate to Ragnarok Tattoo Co. in Athol, Worcester Railers tickets and a Harley-Davidson gift card. Every Christmas tree that heads home with a family in need will feature a tag with the name of the individual or business that sponsored it.

“It’s the idea of trying to let the people in the community who are struggling know that businesses are still there to support them and the community itself,” James said.

Although James is originally from Fitchburg, Wendy is from Orange, with most of her family living in Shelburne Falls and Greenfield, which is why they are so driven to cross county lines for the greater good of local families.

“It’s not just about the children, it’s about the parents, too. A lot of [holiday drives] are structured toward the kids, but nobody really thinks about the stress that these parents are under. That’s kind of what we’re focusing on, is trying to make sure there’s no stress on these parents,” Wendy emphasized. “How they’re going to make ends meet, how they’re gonna separate bills from the holidays — if it’s one less thing we can take off of their shoulders, that’s what the goal is.”

To learn more about how to donate, visit tinyurl.com/AdoptAChristmasTree. Entries are being accepted until Dec. 10, with silent auction winners announced on Dec. 12 via Facebook Live.