NY National Guard Volunteers Assist Loadout of Trees for Troops on Monday

Related Media

National Guard volunteers from the Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia, and 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, based in Latham, assist in the loading of donated Christmas Trees Dec. 3, 2014.

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y (11/27/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Soldiers from Latham's 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters will join Airmen of the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia at the Ellms Tree Farm to volunteer to help load about 125 Christmas trees being donated and sent to military bases around the country to support troops and military families this holiday season.

This marks the 11th year of military members volunteering their time to assist in the loading of trees destined for fellow service members and their families around the country and around the world.

WHO: Soldiers and Airmen from the New York National Guard volunteer their time from work to assist the loadout of holiday trees at Ellms Tree Farm for Trees for Troops.

WHAT: Loading of about 125 Christmas Trees on Fed Ex trucks for the "Trees for Troops" Program

WHEN: 9 a.m. Monday, November 30.

WHERE: Ellms Family Tree Farm, 468 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa, N.Y., 12020

Coverage Opportunity:

Video and images of the volunteers loading trees into the FedEx truck. There will be opportunities to speak with Sally and Chip Ellms and the National Guard volunteers.

Additional Information:

This year marks the 11th season that Trees for Troops will be loaded at Ellms Tree Farm.

This year's participation of the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters honors the ongoing deployment of some 60 Soldiers from the unit to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba last spring. The team of enlisted Soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers staff the personnel, operations, logistics, and signals sections of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, charged with overseeing detainee operations at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or Gitmo.

Volunteers from the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia turn out to honor the deployed Airmen each holiday season at the South Pole for Operation Deep Freeze.

The Trees for Troops program was launched in 2005, and with the help of FedEx Corp., delivered more than 4,300 Christmas Trees to five U.S. military bases in its initial year, as well as an overseas shipment to the Middle East that year. More information is also available at www.TreesforTroops.org.

Since 2005, Trees for Troops has delivered more than 139,000 Real Christmas Trees to thankful troops and military families. Each year, thousands of trees are donated by Christmas Tree growers and consumers. FedEx and its team members generously provide shipping to bases in the U.S. and overseas, through FedEx Express air operations and the FedEx Freight trucking network.

For the past several years the effort has helped to deliver, on average, 17,000 real Christmas Trees each year to 60+ military bases throughout the U.S. and overseas. More than 18,000 trees were delivered in 2014, with a majority going to troops and families at more than 60 bases across the United States.

For more information about the program, contact Sally Ellms at 518-339-6333 or salgal7870@aol.com