Once again, Yenser’s Tree Farm is participating in Trees for Troops, a nationwide program to provide farm-grown Christmas trees to U.S. troops and military families. The program is made possible through the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation in conjunction with the National Christmas Tree Association and FedEx.

On Friday morning, Yenser’s officially launched its donation campaign with about 60 people in attendance including: members of the Lehighton United Veterans Organization, local dignitaries, National Honor Society students from Jim Thorpe Area High School, Future Business Leaders of America members from Lehighton Area High School, and elementary and middle school students from both school districts.The entire student body at both school districts raised money for Trees for Troops, Jan Wentz, co-owner of Yenser’s Tree Farm.“They raised more than $5,000,” she said. “That will all buy Christmas trees. We are hoping to send 600 trees again this year.”Last year, Yenser’s was able to deliver 600 trees to Trees for Troops. So far, they have about 400 trees sold and want to surpass last year’s total. The trees will be shipped out on Tuesday on two FedEx tractor trailers, Wentz said.Nationwide, more than 18,000 trees were delivered last year to 65 military bases in the U.S. and overseas. This brought the total to more than 176,000 real Christmas trees delivered through Trees for Troops since 2005.The public is welcome to help keep the trees coming now through Sunday. It’s simple. Pick a tag, write a message to the family and pay $25 for the tree.“Trees for Troops is a very rewarding program to everyone involved,” said Richard Darling, Christmas SPIRIT Foundation chairman. “It is such an honor to have the opportunity to say thank-you to our troops, and help ensure military families have the kind of joyful, traditional Christmas memories that we would wish for America’s heroes.”Each year, hundreds of military families visit the Trees for Troops website and Facebook page and leave heartfelt “Thank you” messages and pictures of their families celebrating around their beautifully decorated Christmas tree. One such message from a Camp Pendleton family read, “Thank you for our beautiful Christmas tree! We weren’t sure what we were going to do this year. … Trees for Troops was an answer to our prayers.”