By Jason Emerson
editor
Cazenovia-area businesses, organizations and individuals this week helped a national foundation gather and send nearly 100 Christmas trees to the families of military service members throughout the United States. Trees for Troops, a nationwide program of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation in conjunction with FedEx Corp., made a stop at Critz Farms in Cazenovia to collect trees donated by Christmas tree growers throughout Central New York.
“We enjoy helping share the spirit of Christmas by donating trees to the Trees for Troops program,” said Critz Farms co-owner Juanita Critz. “It is such a small gift of appreciation for the enormous commitment and sacrifice made by military families. If we can help brighten their holiday with a fresh Christmas tree, we are happy to do it.”
With Trees for Troops, volunteers collect, prepare and load hundreds of donated trees onto FedEx Freight trucks to be delivered to U.S. troops and military families at more than 65 military bases in the U.S. and overseas. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the program.
Since 2005, more than 176,000 free, farm-grown Christmas trees have been provided through the program, with more than 18,000 real Christmas trees expected to be delivered this year, according to the organization’s website, treesfortroops.org.
In Cazenovia on Monday, Nov. 28, more than one dozen volunteers loaded 75 trees from four local growers onto the FedEx truck. Volunteers included the Critzes; Jon Kogut, owner of Spruce Ridge Landscape and Garden Center of Nelson, and one of his crew members; and six members of Cazenovia American Legion Post 88.
“We are glad to do this small thing to support the troops on active duty defending our country,” said Cazenovia American Legion Post 88 Commander Dick Benner, who participated with other troop members in loading trees at Critz Farms for the third year.
The Critzes, who grow and sell Christmas trees on their farm, have been donating their own trees to Trees for Troops for years, during which the nearest collection point was in Jordan. In 2014, Critz Farms became a collection point for the program and helped recruit other local growers to participate.
The local tree growers and donors whose trees were collected from the Critz Farms collection location included: Critz Farms, Moore Tree Farm in Groton, Muncey Hill Tree Farm in Truxton and Page’s Christmas Trees in Manlius.
“Real Christmas trees are the centerpiece of an authentic Christmas tradition,” said Richard Darling, Christmas SPIRIT Foundation chairman. “As Christmas tree growers, we are very proud to be able to share that tradition with our military families through the Trees for Troops program. Donating our trees to these American heroes has become an important part of our Christmas celebration.”
The trees from the Central New York area that were loaded in Cazenovia will be shipped to Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
To learn more, visit TreesForTroops.org or call (800) 965-1653.
