ATLANTA — Calder Johnson never dreamed his old Dodge Dakota would bring him this far.
Back in 2015 when Calder and best friend Jack Faught were students at Atlanta’s Grady High School, they started selling Christmas trees—free delivery thanks to that truck—to save money for college.
“I had just gotten a pickup truck. Just by chance. I didn’t get it because we were going to do this. I just had a pickup truck,” Johnson said.
They both landed at UGA but kept the holiday business going.
“The toughest few years were when we were in college, and it kept growing because there is finals week, which is right now. A lot of our staff are in college, and everybody is taking finals. That used to be me and Calder,” Faught said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Georgia has the unhappiest employees in the nation, according to new survey
- Crash involving fire truck closes all lanes on GA Highway 41 in Spalding County
- Couple orders meal worth $120 at north Ga. restaurant, skips out on bill, police say
A couple of years after earning degrees, Johnson and Faught now operate six Christmas tree lots all over the city.
The guys who got into the business to pay for college are now helping other students get there. They call it Trees for Tuition.
A portion of the proceeds pay for scholarships.
Over the last few years, they have awarded $38,000 to high school seniors across Atlanta -- partly thanks to a pickup truck.
“We have one who is going to law school to become a judge, and we are helping to make that happen. It’s amazing,” Johnson said.
To learn more about Trees for Tuition, CLICK HERE.
IN OTHER NEWS:
©2023 Cox Media Group
