More than 15,000 soldiers around the country, including some at Missouri鈥檚 Fort Leonard Wood, are getting a free, live Christmas tree this holiday season.
The Trees For Troops program coordinates the effort that has tree farms, companies, service groups and individuals donating trees that end up with members of the armed forces and their families.
Capt. Travis Hairston, a chaplain stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, was one of the hundreds of soldiers who picked up a free tree on Friday. This is the first year his family participated in the program.
鈥淲e really appreciate the opportunity to have a live tree this year. And it means so much that people would think about us and would care enough so we could have one,鈥� said Hairston鈥檚 wife, Cindy.
Their 7-year-old daughter Ella was instrumental in picking the right tree, and she said she can鈥檛 wait to decorate it.
鈥淚鈥檇 really say that I like all kinds of ornaments,鈥� Ella said.
This year will be Pfc. Kaemon Payne鈥檚 first Christmas as an active duty soldier. He said getting a live tree, for free, will make this holiday season brighter.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to be so far from family, but our little family will be together, and that鈥檚 all we need,鈥� Payne said. 鈥淭hey have some really great trees here. It鈥檚 pretty cool to have this opportunity for free and not having to get one. I鈥檓 really grateful.鈥�
Many of the trees contained handwritten notes from the people who donated them, with wishes like, 鈥淭hank you for your service鈥� and 鈥淲e love that you are fighting for our country.鈥� Some of the trees also included an ornament for the soldier and their family.
Trees for Troops is a project of the St. Louis-based Christmas Spirit Foundation.
鈥淲e鈥檙e 100% confident that this helps achieve our mission, because they tell us that it improves their Christmas spirit,鈥� said Rick Dungey, executive director of the foundation. 鈥淲e often get feedback from families that get a tree that say they weren鈥檛 even in the mood for Christmas this year, until they got their tree.鈥�
Trees for Troops is in its 17th year, with Fort Leonard Wood participating in the past 14.
鈥淚 think this program ranks very high on the kindness scale,鈥� said Megan O鈥橠onoghue, director of Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation at Fort Leonard Wood. 鈥淲hat makes it unique is that the donations come from all over the country. People don鈥檛 know where the trees end up, only that it will be in the home of a soldier.鈥�
Fort Leonard Wood was one of 77 military bases around the country included in Trees for Troops. Tree farms that donated to the program include Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, Missouri, and Daniken Tree Farm in Greenville, Illinois.
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