DHL TREES FOR THE TROOPS

Express Delivery Company Partners with New York Communities for Annual Trees for Troops Charitable Program 
 
DHL is partnering with local communities in New York to deliver live holiday trees and decorations to U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East through DHL's annual Trees for Troops charitable program. This program has collected and shipped thousands of holiday trees, lights, ornaments, menorahs and messages of support to the brave men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Kuwait since 2004. 
 
Local businesses, organizations, private citizens and nurseries have joined forces with DHL in donating and delivering 750 trees and holiday decorations overseas. THE NEW YORK official send-off events hosted by DHL in New York was on December 3rd. 
 
Some of the companies that teamed up with DHL for this send off included Dee's Nursery in Oceanside, New York, the New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and other members of the local New York metro community who donated hundreds of trees and holiday decorations to the program. "Santa Sacks" filled with thousands of holiday cards written by local school children were sent along with the shipment. The December 3rd send-off began at Dee's Nursery followed by the movement of the shipment to DHL's gateway at John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

The event moved inside to a room adorned with Holiday Decorations.  WL Concepts & Production, Inc. a Signage, Graphics and Display firm provided full holiday regala for this event.  Their expertise in visual merchandising paid off with a beautifully decorated Large Christmas Tree.  This one large tree was decorated with specially displayed Teddy Bears, unusal ornaments, and an attention popping display of DHL Trucks with loads set up on a track around the tree to highlight DHL.  Five smaller trees included DHL model planes as part of the decorations.  Several Wreaths and Garland also adorned the room.  These visual displays and holiday decorations are just one of the many projects completed by the gifted and talented team members of WL Concepts & Production for DHL.

DHL launched its annual Trees for Troops program in December 2004, when Jim Adelis, a New York businessman whose son was stationed in Iraq at the time, reached out to DHL to assist in transporting a shipment of trees to the Middle East. In November and December 2004, with the help of the U.S. Army Reserve 77th Regional Readiness Command, Dee's Nursery and the local New York metro community, DHL delivered two shipments featuring a total of 135 trees and holiday decorations from JFK to troops stationed at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq.