300 trees arrive carrying holiday spirit

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Nathan Gallahan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Families from across the Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. community scrambled to the 28th Force Support Squadron Outdoor Recreation office Dec. 1, 2011 in hopes of receiving one of 300 Christmas Trees donated by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation.

Spouses of deployed Airmen had first dibs on the trees.

"It means a lot for all of these people to help us out with a tree," said Mandy Kidman, wife of a deployed Airman,"I would have to do this all by myself - shopping around ... loading it into the car. It's just really nice of all of them. Our commander's wife is even here, and there are Airmen from the squadron helping me move the tree into my house."

Ellsworth isn't the only military community that received the trees. More than 84,000 fresh cut trees have been delivered to military families across the Department of Defense since 2005. While the event Dec. 1 was open to deployed spouses, the remaining free trees are available to the rest of Ellsworth families until Dec. 23.

Supplies are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call Carrie Brewer, 28th FSS marketing director, at (605) 385-1586.