For the 18th year, Yenser’s Tree Farm is sending Christmas trees donated by local residents, their own farm and some other tree farms to military bases as part of the national Trees for Troops program.

More than 250 trees were loaded into a FedEx trailer by volunteers, most of them high school students, following a program at the tree farm on Friday morning. Trees and donations can continue to be made to the Trees for Troops program through Sunday.

The trees donated this year are being sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the Coast Guard base in Detroit, Michigan.

Carbon County Commissioner Rocky Ahner said Yenser’s Tree Farm is one of only four tree growers in Pennsylvania participating in Trees for Troops.

Ryan Wentz, who owns Yenser’s Tree Farm with his wife Jan, said in the 18 years they’ve been participating there have been more than 7,000 trees donated locally to Trees for Troops.

The Trees for Troops program was initiated when the Christmas Tree farm was owned by the Yenser family. The Wentzes acquired the farm in 2015 and continued the project.

The trees donated this year are being sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the Coast Guard base in Detroit, Michigan.

Jan said, “We’re humbled and honored to be part of Trees for Troops.”

Ryan’s father, Wayne Wentz, gave an emotional talk on the importance of the Trees for Troops program. A Vietnam War veteran, he said, “Fifty-six years ago I spent Christmas in Vietnam. You can’t know what it’s like to be over there when you’re 18 years old.”

For the Christmas tree donations, he said, “Again, thank you.”

Maj. Gen. Jay Barry of the U.S. Air Force said seeing a Christmas tree while serving in the military “brings that taste of home to all of us.” He praised the efforts of local residents in continuing to make the project a success, saying, “It tells a lot of who we are in this little town.”

Former Yenser’s Tree Farm owner Drew Yenser said he served in the National Guard and spoke about the importance of the Guard.

The Lehighton Area High School Choir sang the national anthem.

Various donations were given to the tree farm during the Trees for Troop program. They are: Lehighton American Legion and Lehighton United Veterans Organization, $250 each; Jim Thorpe American Legion Post 304 and auxiliary, $850; Purple Heart Chapter 190; Zion United Church of Christ; Carbon County Veterans Council, $500; Lehighton High School National Honor Society and Chorus, $2,010; Lehighton Elementary Center students raised over $2,000; Disabled American Veterans Hazleton Chapter 3, $400; McAdoo AmVets, $750; McAdoo VFW Post 6708, $1,000; St. John’s Church, Mahoning, $641; BHA Willow Academy, $335; American Legion Post 123, Lansford; Panther Valley School District JROTC, $730.55; Vietnam Veterans of Carbon County.

Wentz said many local businesses and individuals have also mailed donations to the tree farm.

Leon George of George’s Transportation donated transportation for Lehighton students to the event.