Photo By Richard Goldenberg | Volunteers lpass a tree up to FedEx driver Don Pelletier during the Trees for Troops...... read more read more
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BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. -- New York National Guard Airmen and Soldiers volunteered their time to fill up a delivery truck with 125 donated Christmas trees bound for military families at the Ellms Family Farm, December 9, 2019.
The event marks 15 years of support for Trees for Troops, a national program of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation.
“Honestly, when I started this I never realized it would grow and last as much as it has,” said Chip Ellms, owner of the Christmas Tree farm and organizer of the event on behalf of the various tree growers in upstate New York.
The charitable organization collects donated farm-grown Christmas Trees and in partnership with FedEx, delivers them to military members and their families across all branches of the military.
Among the volunteers were members of the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing, based at the Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, N.Y. The wing deploys personnel each year to Antarctica for Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) and the wing's support to the National Science Foundation.
“This is a great way for us to share holiday spirit with those who can’t be home with their families,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Hanna, assigned to the wing.
Rotations of Airmen for Operation Deep Freeze means members of the wing will always spend time supporting the mission in Antarctica every holiday season, Hanna said.
Volunteering to load trees reminds troops of their local connections back home for the holidays, said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Van Pelt, part of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Capital District Chapter who also volunteered in the effort.
Volunteers and veterans compared stories of holiday seasons deployed, ranging from Vietnam War veterans to Sailors at sea to more recent deployments of Soldiers to Kuwait, Iraq or Afghanistan and Airmen supporting missions at the South Pole.
"There’s something special about the holidays, and getting the chance to help out and share in this is what our support for troops is all about,” Van Pelt.
“I haven’t been overseas for a holiday, but I have been deployed and I know how difficult that is,” said Master Sgt. Kara Lock, assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing.
“It’s nice to stand side by side with other service members and take part in something that’s bigger than ourselves,” Lock said.
This year’s Christmas Trees from upstate New York are bound for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, home of the U.S. Marine Corps II Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Marine Corps Special Forces Command, Ellms said.
Troops and families receiving the donated trees will also receive hand-made decorations and ornaments, donated by Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Schools, said Sally Ellms, who founded Ellms Tree Farm with her husband Chip.
The Trees for Troops program launched in 2005, and with the help of FedEx Corp., delivered more than 4,300 Christmas Trees to five U.S. military bases. Since the effort began, more than 225,000 trees have been delivered to military members and their families worldwide.
Making that connection to service members and their families over Christmas is what drives the Ellms family to continue their efforts year after year, Chip Ellms said.
“They get a tree when they are away from home,” he said. “This is just a great show of our appreciation.”
| Date Taken: | 12.09.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2019 19:23 |
| Story ID: | 355159 |
| Location: | BALLSTON SPA, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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