Residents from Central and South Baldwin County lined up in Heritage Park on Saturday to receive their free trees during Foley’s 30th annual Arbor Day celebration.

“I remember reading a poem one time that said, ‘There is nothing more beautiful than a tree.’ That is so very true,” Carolyn Hollis, city revitalization and beautification board chair, said. The board organized the event.

“This is a nice turnout today. It’s probably one of our larger turnouts,” she said.

Free seedlings, which are baby trees, were available to residents. The types of seedlings included red cedar, plum, nuttall oak, crepe myrtle, bald cypress, live oak, compton oak and mayhaw.

Boy Scout Troop 77 assisted in distributing the seedlings to residents, and Foley Mayor John Koniar showcased the city’s Tree City, USA flag.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to be a Tree City for a number of years,” Koniar said.

A tree was dedicated at the event to Foley High School graduate Mark Stratton, who died in Afghanistan serving the United States. The tree will be planted at Graham Creek Preserve.