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For three decades, the community has come together each holiday season to ‘bring one for the chipper.’

Keep Troup Beautiful is sponsoring its annual Bring One for the Chipper event at the City of LaGrange Recycling Center, located at 530 South Davis Road.

The event will be different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike previous years where locals can drop off tires and batteries, only live Christmas trees will be accepted during this year’s event.

“Through the years, we have had really successful events,” said Keep Troup Beautiful Vice President Ken Pope.

Keep Troup Beautiful will partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use the recycled trees to help benefit West Point Lake. Any trees that local fisherman pick up will be donated to the corps to be put in the lake.

Very few trees will actually be thrown into the chipper.

Pope said the trees cause natural, healthy algae to grow, which in turn the fish will eat. Trees will attract more fish if they are placed in deeper water and in an area where the water depth changes significantly, such as near an underwater ridge or hump. Pope said fish tend to use this type of area throughout the year.

In years past, even a few local fishing teams have stopped by to get trees.

“Historically, Christmas trees tend to wind up on the side of the road,” Pope said. “They are left on dead end roads and just left on the wayside as opposed to being properly disposed of.”

Pope said Keep Troup Beautiful took on the project to not only help the fish habitat in the lake but to help with any eye sores after Christmas.

Just like years past, dogwoods and chestnut trees are given away to anyone who donates a tree.

Pope said they are still doing that but won’t have them in for another week. Anyone can drop off a tree between Dec. 26 through Dec. 31.

For more information, visit www.keeptroupbeautiful.org/ or call (706) 298-3670.