Trees for Troops bring holidays home for Sill military families

Over 200 live Christmas trees were there when the Fort Sill Recycle Center opened its doors Saturday morning.

Much like those they’re intended for, they had a mission.

Actually, make it two missions, if you think about it, according to Chris Smith, recycle program manager.

“When we opened the doors this morning, it was wafting with the smell of Christmas,” she said of the 7:30 a.m. opening for this year’s Trees for Troops program.

The scent took to the wind and lured in around 110 military families seeking a home-style Christmas by 10 a.m., even if states away from their original homes.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brandon Sutch and wife Kailey smiled as their 2-year-old son Barrett wiped away cocoa from his top lip. They’d found their tree for this year and were enjoying some of the treats to be found. The father said the Trees for Troops program is something thoughtful that’s appreciated by the family.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “We do love Christmas.”

Brandon is from Ohio and Kailey is from Iowa and this is their first Lawton-Fort Sill Christmas after arriving in October. With the north wind cooling things off, they said they’re used to cold weather and welcomed it after being stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

“When I was stationed in North Carolina, we would go to the Christmas tree farm to get our tree, it was a tradition,” he said. “We couldn’t get live trees in California, though.”

As Barrett’s eyes grew big looking at the tree in his father’s hands, Kailey said this is a unique holiday this year that will be remembered.

“It’s so special he (Barrett) he gets to come be a part of this,” she said. “He’s just learning about Christmas; he loves it so far.”

In its 17th year hosting Trees for Troops, Smith said it’s always a high-point for the program.

“it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “Christmas is our theme of the year.”

Since 2005, FedEx and the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation have collected and distributed thousands of real Christmas trees donated by the Tree Growers Association and public donations as a thank you to the men, women and their families of the nation’s military.

Along with the trees, Smith said distributing coats available for men, women and children, as well as serving coffee, cocoa and cookies offer memorable moments.

Army Captain Joe Schoolcraft and wife Lauren were having a tough go keeping up with 3-year-old son Tyler as he ran from one end of the recycle center warehouse to another trying to decide which tree would be theirs. The father said Tyler was filled with the Christmas spirit.

“We took him to see Santa,” he said. “He didn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap, but he did get his picture with him.”

As trees kept moving through the day, if there are any left, the recycle center’s doors will open again from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday for soldiers to come collect one for their households.

Smith said spreading the joy of Christmas goes hand in hand with the recycle program’s mission.

“We want to close the loops,” she said. “At the end of the Christmas season, we encourage them to bring the trees back here, we have a lot of places they can go.”

Among those places the trees may ultimately end is in lakes as a fish habitat and, most curiously, feeding goats, Smith said. Just don’t put tinsel on the tree if you will.

“Goats eat them,” she said.