Eight members of Cazenovia American Legion Post 88 met at Critz Farms in Cazenovia last week to help out with a cause that hits close to them — to provide Christmas trees to America’s military troops and their families during the holiday season.

The veterans worked with a half dozen other farms in the Cazenovia area last Monday, Dec. 1, and loaded up 100 trees into a Fed-Ex tractor trailer truck for the annual Trees for Troops national event, which is run by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the organization has provided about 140,000 trees to military members and their families including more than 3,000 trees to troops overseas.

“As a Vietnam veteran, I remember how much I missed Christmas being overseas,” said Chuck Amos, a member of the Cazenovia Legion. “I think it’s a great thing because it’s part of our heritage and what we grew up with. Being able to continue that in the military with celebration is important.”

Critz Farm was a drop-off location for this year’s Trees for Troops event, where Critz’s, Springside Farms in Pompey, Pages Christmas Tree Farm in Manlius and Chuck Hafner’s Tree Farm in Kirkville all participated in the event.

“It’s a really nice partnership for the farms who donate,” said Juanita Critz, co-owner of Critz Farm. “It’s a large and wide-reaching fundraiser. It’s nice to work with everyone for such a great cause.”

This year, the organization aims to raise more than 17,000 trees for the cause and have already sent about 150 trees to troops overseas. The remainder of the trees will go to military bases throughout the country to be given to military members and their families.

“It’s a nice gesture to veterans,” said Al Keilen, a member of the Cazenovia American Legion. “The farms stepped up and donated all those trees and trees are not inexpensive these days. It’s a sign to the veterans that people haven’t forgotten their service.”

The donated trees that were loaded that morning are on their way for distribution to American troops and their families in the Midwestern U.S., said Matt Critz.

For more information about the Trees for Troops program, visit Treesfortroops.org.

Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Cazenovia Republican. She can be reached at [email protected].