MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --
Cherry
Point’s annual Trees for Troops event provided more than 700 Christmas trees to
active-duty, retired and Department of Defense families at Marine Corps Air
Station Cherry Point, N.C., Dec. 11.
According
to Beth McKenzie, Trees for Troops, hosted by Marine Corps Community Services
in conjunction with The National Christmas Tree Association, The Christmas
Spirit Foundation and FedEx, has been providing Christmas trees to Cherry Point
families since 2005.
“This
year we more than doubled the number of trees we handed out. We received 735
trees for the 2014 Trees for Troops event,” said McKenzie, the marketing
director for MCCS. “Trees can sometimes
run up to more than $200 so we’ve been lucky to be with this program for years.”
Service
members, families and DOD employees lined up at Hancock Marina hours before the
event kicked off to ensure they received a tree. Marine volunteers were on hand
to help distribute the trees to families.
“This is
just another way for us to show the Marines, Sailors and their families who
work here that we appreciate what they do,” said McKenzie. “Live Christmas trees
make people happy and they help families create Christmas memories. This
program helps keep the spirit of Christmas alive, especially for those families
struggling financially or who have loved ones they can’t be with.”
Trees
for Troops receives trees donated by Christmas tree farms around the country.
The trees are then distributed to active duty service members and their
families, said McKenzie.
“My
favorite part of this event is seeing the Marines, Sailors and their families
so happy when they pick up their free Christmas tree,” said McKenzie.
Marine,
Sailor and DOD volunteers unloaded six trailers filled with Christmas trees
while anxious recipients waited in line to receive a tree.
“I love
doing volunteer work and I think this event is a great way to help out and give
back during the holiday season,” said Sgt. Jordan Myles, fuels embarkation
chief with Marine Wing Support Squadron 274.
Trees
for Troops kick-starts the holiday season and gives Cherry Point families a
chance to enjoy the holidays with one less financial burden to worry about,
according to Myles.
“It
makes me feel good knowing I am helping my fellow Marines, Sailors and their
families,” said Myles, a native of Niagara Falls, N.Y. “This event definitely
helps raise family’s morale during the holiday season. I hope to see this event
continue to grow larger in the future.”