LEHIGHTON, Pa. — One by one, students in the Panther Valley and Lehighton Area School Districts loaded dozens of beautiful Christmas trees into a FedEx truck parked at Yenser's Tree Farm near Lehighton.
With the holiday season upon us, these trees will be shipped hundreds of miles away to our military men and women to have a tree to call their own.
Vietnam vet Wayne Wentz missed three Christmases while he was deployed.
"I can't even remember what we did for Christmas, if we got a meal or what. But I know we didn't have a tree. And to do this Trees for Troops today, I cannot imagine how a family feels when they pull in and say, 'Here's a tree that was donated by this student at this school or this business,'" said Wentz.
It's all part of the Trees for Troops program. For $30, you can give a military family in need a little touch of the holiday season.
This is the 18th year the farm has sent Christmas trees to deployed service members.
"You know there are very few times in uniform, especially when your deployed, away from family, away from friends, where something brings a smile to your face, and having that Christmas tree delivered or seeing a tree while you're inside some far-off land brings a taste of home to all of us," said Gen. Jay Barry, with the United States Air Force.
Each one of the trees has a note tied to it to let our servicemen and woman know that someone is thinking about them this holiday season.
"I have friends and family who are outside the country and are just trying their best to keep our country safe. You know, with all the bad things going on, all little Christmas cheer would definitely bring up their spirits," said Kacie Weaver with the Panther Valley ROTC program.
This year, trees from Yenser's are being sent to military families in Oklahoma and Michigan.
You can donate a tree through Sunday by stopping at Yenser's Tree Farm or donating online.
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