REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — They may not be home, but troops overseas will still get to feel the Christmas spirit with trees sent from Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio Christmas Tree Association once again partnered to send troops across the globe an Ohio-grown Christmas tree this winter. In addition to trees, local schools, churches and veterans' groups donated decorations to ensure military members have everything they need ahead of Christmas Day.
"It's a way to give back to the troops, maybe send them a bit of Christmas greetings, give them a little bit of home while they're spending time away from their families during the holiday season," said Dan Kenny, chief of ODA's Division of Plant Health.
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Trees are donated by Ohio Christmas tree growers and inspected by ODA nursery inspectors before being delivered by UPS. Graham said this year's trees will go to Kuwait.
"It's great to put a piece of home to those folks," OCTA executive director Valerie Graham said. "We wouldn't have a lot of the things we have today if they weren't fighting for our freedoms, and this is just a small, very small, piece of appreciation."
OCTA has been doing "Operation Evergreen" with the help of UPS since 1995.
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