Local Trees for Troops branch donates 1,400 Christmas trees in Cornwall

CORNWALL – "I get to help veterans," said 8-year-old Harper Spitaleri. "They help us all the time and I want to give them a good Christmas." 

This was the shared sentiment among a group of excited third-graders from Cornwall Elementary School as they, along with other volunteers from the local community, helped load tractor trailers full of donated Christmas trees at Farmside Acres in Cornwall on Tuesday morning. 

The volunteer work was part of Trees for Troops, a cause that brings live Christmas trees to servicemembers and their families nationwide and overseas. According to its website, Trees for Troops has provided over 260,000 Christmas trees to military families since its inception in 2005. 

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Now in its 13th year locally, Trees for Troops collected 1,400 trees from Hudson Valley businesses and families to provide to troops based in Georgia and Kentucky, according to Farmside Acres spokeswoman Leigh Nannini. 

Due to COVID-19, last year the school children weren't able to help out like they had in previous years. But they came in full force Tuesday, gathering around the bundled trees and working together to load them into the tractor trailers. 

"It feels awesome to have the kids back this year," Nannini said. "It's an entire community effort." 

According to Nannini, the farm was able to gather many of the trees from local fire departments' Christmas tree sales, as well as from local vendors such as Adams Fairacre Farms, which contributed over 100 trees. 

Third-grade teachers Deborah Moore and Michelle Sawicki were there with their classes to help out as well, sharing the joy among the children for their field trip to the tree farm. The classes made ornaments to go along with the trees, which will be delivered down South in the coming days. 

"There's a boy in our class who previously had a Trees for Troops tree," Moore said. "This is a really great cause." 

The best part about the day for third-grader Lucy Egan was simple: "I got to help people and do it with my friends," she said. 

Kristen Warfield is the food and business reporter for the Times Herald-Record. Find my stories here. Reach me at kwarfield@gannett.com.