Angel Tree kicks off at Walmart

It could be the beginning of a great Christmas for those not having the best of times.

Along with the Big Kettle kickoff, the Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary is having their annual Angel Tree program at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sheridan Walmart. After Saturday, the Angel Tree table will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 24-Dec. 7. The table will not be open on Thanksgiving Day. Distribution day will be Dec. 13.

Next to the red kettles with the bells that chime away every year, the Angel Tree program is one of the Salvation Army’s highest profile efforts, Karen Dipprey, Salvation Army Auxiliary President said.

“It provides new clothing and toys for children of needy families and we’ve been doing Angel Tree here in Lawton for 20 years,” Dipprey said. “Each year, we set up the tree and put the angels on the tree. This year, we have 621 children who will be receiving Christmas gifts because of the Angel Tree.”

The Auxiliary runs a registration period for the program in October, where parents who want their children’s names put on the tree can sign up for a chance to get the gifts.

“We did that for four days in October and that’s how we got our 621 children,” Dipprey said.

Even though there are a few straggling kettles out in the open, it won’t be official until Saturday.

“Along with that kickoff, we have a Christian recording artist, Billy Ballenger, who will be there to help us,” Dipprey said. “Also, we’ll have the mayor and some other community members there to help us with that kickoff.”

In Lawton, a lot of families are fighting to make ends meet, Dipprey said.

“At Christmas time, that’s just an extra burden on those parents because they also want gifts for their kids,” Dipprey said. “By doing this Angel Tree, we’re able for the community to help us help parents provide gifts, new clothes, and (put) toys under the tree. It just helps to make their Christmas just a bit brighter.”

“Once we have a kickoff, we will have a table set up inside of the Walmart,” Dipprey said. “Then, as people come, they can pick an angel off of a tree. It’s very convenient because they can pick an angel or more than one angel off the tree. They can go shopping right there in the store and bring those gifts right back up to us at the table. It’s kind of a one stop shopping. We’ll take those gifts and then get them ready for parents to pick up on distribution day, which is Dec. 13.”

The Angel Tree also serves four other surrounding counties: Cotton, Jefferson, Stevens and Tillman.