Overseas bases getting evergreens

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Evergreen trees from Ohio will soon bring holiday cheer to U.S. military bases in Kuwait.

The Ohio Christmas Tree Association is sending 110 trees overseas as part of an annual effort to brighten the season for service members.

The packages of trees containing some ornaments from Ohio schools and churches were expected to arrive around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Operation Evergreen was started by the association in 1995, said Amy Galehouse, the program’s coordinator. The idea was born out of an idea from the group’s board, which had three members who were veterans. They had conveyed the importance of receiving gifts from home – even if the items arrived in crumbs.

“So it was set up, and it’s specifically for those folks who are so far away from home that they can’t be with their families during the Christmas season,” she said.

Soldiers will send pictures and emails to the volunteers who make the ornaments and decorations for the trees, she said.