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Christmas trees sent to troops overseas
Volunteers package trees at the Ohio Department of Agriculture
Christmas tree growers across the U.S. ship trees every year to soldiers overseas. Ohio grower Mike Gutridge says Christmas trees are donated from all over his state through Operation Evergreen, sponsored by the Ohio Christmas Tree Association.
“Typically what happens is we bring our trees in, they have to be inspected by the state and certified as disease and insect free. Once that happens we repackage the trees and put them in boxes with ornaments donated by schools and daycare’s that we package and ship them out,” says Gutridge.
The program has been a holiday tradition for more than 20 years, and Gutridge tells Brownfield it’s a way for Ohio tree farmers to send a bit of home to the troops.
“I think it’s taking a little bit of home to them. They get to have a live tree and decorate it as they wish and hopefully it makes them feel a little bit better being that far away from home,” says Gutridge.
Gutridge says it costs $100-to-$160 to ship a tree overseas and the association accepts donations to cover the costs. The national Trees for Troops program, through the Christmas Spirit Foundation, ships Christmas trees from all over the U.S. to troops overseas.
Ohio Christmas Tree Association
Audio: Mike Gutridge, Ohio Christmas Tree Association
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