'Lumberjack' Tree Tossers will tote away your Christmas tree and help a good cause

Every year around this time, there's the universal question — what to do with your old, dead Christmas tree?

You can cut your tree up and put it in your green bin. You can tote it, whole, to a drop-off location. 

Or, you can call a couple of "lumberjacks" who will come and pick it up.

This is the fourth year that Todd Luker and Kevin Coan have dressed up as their lumberjack alter egos 'Bo and Pierre' to pick up trees around the city.

Their company is called Tree Tossers, and for less than $20, the duo will tote away your tree.

"We started picking up Christmas trees a couple of years ago when the city stopped doing it, Luker told the Calgary Homestretch.

"We thought: 'Well, all these people are gonna be stuck with their trees. Why don't we do something with it?' And we didn't know where it was going to go in the beginning and we thought 'Well, it is Christmas time. Let's see if we can help some people as well as pick up Christmas trees,'  and that's how the idea evolved."

So how do the Tree Tossers help people (besides toting away their troublesome dried branches)? 

"We have chosen to help somebody in the community each year," Luker said. "And we've come to the point of focusing on somebody specific in the community rather than a big charity. We focus on somebody who we can try and have more of an impact on. So a family in need."

This year, Tree Tossers is helping the Walker family, whose six-year-old daughter Madelyn is facing a long battle.

"Their little girl is having some pretty severe health issues and we literally get in touch with them and say 'Hey, we've heard what you're going through. We'd like to help. You're gonna be facing a lot of challenges' … and we just come to them to see where we can help to rally support, both financially and just to see what the community can do."

For Coan, it's been rewarding to see the community support.

"The response is great in terms of that community spirit," he said. "The odd time we will run into somebody while we're picking up their tree and they're just so thankful, and they always thank us or make mention of the particular cause that we're helping. And that's just, you know, it brings a smile to our face, and to theirs obviously."

Tree Tossers have expanded and now has a team of people ready to fan out across the city. 

It's not a day job for any of them, nor is it a full charity.

"Nobody's buying yachts and Mercedes or Lamborghinis off of the Tree Tossers," Luker said. "It's more of a passion project and a little side hustle and something where we can give back and help the community."

Tree Tossers will come and get your tree for the rest of January.

To schedule a pickup, head to treetossers.com.

Luker and Coan are hoping to hit the 1,000 tree mark this year. They still won't be getting yachts, but the Walker family will get a little extra help.