Not even rain could ruin the night as MCLB Albany rang in the holiday season at the annual MCCS Tree Lighting presented by Navy Federal Credit Union, on Friday, December 1st.
Festivities began at 6 PM, and offered a special program filled with live entertainment, family fun, and holiday cheer. Families could decorate ornaments, make reindeer food, get their faces painted, and so much more at the festive event. Highlights of the evening were the much-anticipated visit from Santa via fire truck and of course the ceremonial lighting of the tree! "It's always great for MCCS to host events for our military families to see the joy on the faces of not only the children but the adults as well,” said Craig Pruett, MCCS Albany Director.
New this year at MCLB Albany was the Trees for Troops event, a program that provides Christmas trees free of charge to service members and their families. The Trees for Troops program has partnered with military installations to deliver live Christmas trees to military families on more than 80 military installations around the world since 2005. The program, run by the Christmas Spirit Foundation and partnering with FedEx, aims to provide thousands of free Christmas trees to military installations nationwide this year with MCLB Albany being provided 80 trees for their families. The trees came with handwritten holiday messages like “Thank you for our freedom! Merry Christmas.” and “Thank you for all you have sacrificed. It has not gone unnoticed. Thank you!” scrawled in small children's writing. These personal touches offer a glimpse of the respect and appreciation families from all over have for our service members and their families. "MCCS is aware of the special difficulties military families go through, especially around the holidays," said Pruett. "Through involvement in the Trees for Troops initiative, we aim to lessen some of the monetary strains that come with buying a Christmas tree and spread some festive joy simultaneously."
The annual event is a cherished tradition that brings people together and ignites the holiday spirit. It serves as a reminder of the importance of making memories with loved ones and becoming a part of your community.
MCCS Sponsor. No federal or DoD endorsement implied.
Photo by Jonathan Wright