Christmas Tree Martha owner Marth Toomey, above, doing what she loves — spreading some holiday cheer.
By donating every penny she makes at Christmas Tree Martha to her non-profit organization Mary’s Family, Martha Toomey fully embodies the true spirit of the Holiday Season.
Toomey is selling and renting fully designed and decorated Christmas Trees at Christmas Tree Martha on the third floor of The Marketplace. Stop in to see her collection of themed Christmas Trees which range from the eclectic to the traditional.
Bartenders, restaurateurs and the party lover in everyone will adore the Holiday Spirits Tree, decorated with wine cork garland, shot glasses and comes complete with cocktail napkins, hand-knitted mitten decorations which hold mini alcohol bottles and noise makers.
The Amenities Tree is the perfect way to welcome a stateside family vacationing on St. John for the holiday. The tree comes complete with swimming goggles, bay rum cologne, St. John maps and guide books and even mouth wash.
The Princess Tree is a fluffy pink confection just begging to be brought home for a little princess. The pink tree features glittered decorations and lace accents.
The Beach Tree features brightly colored fish decorations, sea chests bearing jeweled treasure, sea horses, sailboats and more.
With everything from wooden tops to fuzzy teddy bears and even a beautiful doll handmade in Sante Fe, the Toy Tree will bring out the child in everyone.
Prices for the trees range from $100 for a small decorated tree to more than $1,000 for a towering tree decked out to the nines with garland, glass decorations and more.
Toomey is also excited to offer one special tree, she explained.
“Sloop Jones is making a tree for us,” she said. “It will be one-of-a-kind and you know it’s going to be beautiful. There will be just one Sloop Jones Tree and I can’t wait to see it too.”
Toomey will also be offering live Douglas Fir trees for sale as soon as they reach the island, she added.
And keep Christmas Tree Martha in mind for the next few weeks, when Toomey will be hosting parties and get-togethers.
Join Toomey on Thursday, November 29, to make paper chain garlands, and throughout December for a music afternoon, when Handel’s Messiah will be featured, and a movie day, to watch “Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree.”
“This is really fun,” said Toomey. “I love to do this and I want people to come in and have fun with me.”
While celebrating the season, sales at Christmas Tree Martha support a very important cause, Mary’s Family.
Toomey launched the non-profit dedicated to advocating for people with disabilities a decade ago in her home state of Virginia.
Since then, Mary’s Family has been instrumental in changing official language related to people with disabilities and improving the public’s attitude toward people with disabilities, explained Toomey.
“We were the premier advocacy group which rewrote legislation in the state of Virginia that removed the word ‘retarded,’” said Toomey. “We had a 4H Club and also started a state-wide Political Action Committee, which eventually became a nation-wide Political Action Committee.”
Mary’s Family emphasizes that the greatest gift one can give someone with a disability is friendship, Toomey added.
“We focused on changing people’s attitudes about people with disabilities,” she said. “We strove to remove the patronizing and condescending attitudes. Disabilities are natural; there is nothing not natural about disabilities.”
Her work earned Toomey the “Citizen of the Year” award and also had her logging long and tiring hours. Three years ago her family made the move to St. John and took a well-deserved break from advocacy work.
Not one to idle long, however, Toomey is back working to revitalize the federally mandated V.I. Developmental Disabilities Council. She also launched a Tennis Clinic in May which meets each Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. for the public and special needs students at Julius E. Sprauve School.
Christmas Tree Martha is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Toomey is also open to special requests, so just ask, she added.
