The Giving Tree tradition starts at NAS Jax

On Nov. 19, the NEX held a ceremony in the courtyard to light the Giving Tree. Children from the NAS Jax Child Development Center (CDC) made ornaments to decorate the tree and sang Christmas songs at the ceremony. They also helped NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. count down to the lighting of the tree. Santa also showed up to give the children a treat for all their hard work.

"It's so good to see you and what you're doing for the kids who are less fortunate. This is really great," Scorby told the children.

The Giving Tree is a community outreach program for NAS Jax that helps bring Christmas cheer to families that need a little help this holiday season. On the back of each handmade ornament is information on a child that needs a little extra gift this year. The ornament has the child's sex, age, clothing size and maybe a special toy if requested. NEX customers can pick an ornament off the tree, register their name at Personalized Services inside the NEX and purchase or make gifts for the child. The gift should then be returned, unwrapped, within seven days to Personalized Services. The deadline for gifts is Dec. 15. The USO will wrap the gifts and deliver them to the families Dec.17.

The children from the NAS Jax Child Development Center sing Christmas carols at the lighting of the "Giving Tree" in the courtyard of NAS Jacksonville Navy Exchange Nov. 19.

NEX General Manager Steve Foster helped start this program after seeing a similar one at NS Mayport when he worked at the exchange there. "It's a great thing to be able to help someone during the holiday season," Foster said. "Plus, it gets the kids involved."

NEX Service Operation Manager Pat Schaaf assisted Foster with starting the Giving Tree at NAS Jax. "The Giving Tree is a special community project that we're doing here to help families on our base that may need the extra help that we all sometimes need." The goal of Schaaf and Foster was to get NAS Jax streamlined with NS Mayport in helping the community during the holiday season.

The USO worked with base command master chiefs to put together a list of Sailors who had children that would benefit from having their names on the Giving Tree. All names are confidential.

For more information on how to help a NAS Jax child this Christmas, visit the Navy Exchange or contact the USO.

Even Santa showed up to surprise the children of the NAS Jax Child Development Center at the lighting of the Giving Tree.