Bridgewater Tree Ball Community Collects, Donates 1,275 Pounds Of Food

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — One Bridgewater community leveraged their annual tradition to hang hundreds of lighted handcrafted Christmas balls from their trees to help feed the hungry in Somerset County.

The annual unique tradition started by Dewey and Leslie Carlson in 2018, caught on with about 25 neighbors participating along the Southbrook Drive and Cornell Road neighborhood in the Martinsville section of the Township.

Each neighbor hangs Christmas balls — made of strings of LED lights attached to chicken wire to create a sphere— from trees on their property.

• Related: Illuminated Christmas Tree Balls Unite Bridgewater Community During Holidays

The tradition grew in 2024 with 244 tree balls, 3.5 miles of extension cord length end to end, and 1.7 miles of LED light length end to end.

Along with bringing cheer to the community, neighbors set out a donation bucket for residents passing by to donate food to those in need in Somerset County.

Last year, the neighbors collected around 325 pounds of food donations. This year they hoped to reach 1,000 pounds of food donations.

At the end of the season, they exceeded their goal with 1,275 pounds of food which is equivalent to at least 1,063 meals for local families in need through The Food Bank Network of Somerset County.

"Thank you to all who contributed. We quadrupled last year's haul of 300 pounds and exceeded our goal of 1,000 pounds. We couldn't be more amazed by our generous community. Looking forward to breaking records, building enthusiasm, and sharing the joy of the balls next season!" said Leslie Carlson.

For more information on the neighborhood group join the Bridgewater Tree Balls Facebook group.

For more information on the food bank visit www.somersetfoodbank.org.

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