JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Wounded warriors from 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, cut down Christmas trees that were donated by Schilter Family Farm in Lacey, Wash. earlier this week. The trees were then prepared and loaded onto a larger truck to be transported back to their respective battalions, where they will be displayed throughout the Christmas season.
“We really appreciate the sacrifice of going to war and being away from their families. It’s just a small way we can contribute back and say thank you,” Jeff Schilter said.
Schilter runs the Schilter Family Farm. His act of charity means a lot to those that operate his farm.
"We’re just happy to be able to provide something," Schilter said. "It’s kind of a neat thing for us to interact with military families. A few of our employee's spouses are deployed and … it makes a big difference to us."
The half dozen trees were cut down by wounded warriors - soldiers from 3rd Brigade who incurred some type of injury while serving in Afghanistan - and then shaken and wrapped in netting by Schilter's employees. Other members of the Arrowhead brigade then transported the trees to Joint Base Lewis-McChord to commemorate the holiday season.
This is not the first time that Schilter Family Farm has contributed, in some way, to the military families at JBLM.
“We do a lot of family readiness group activities where the groups will come to the farm and use this as a meeting place on the weekends," Schilter explained.
Additionally, Schilter offers military discounts on all their Christmas trees and products throughout the year, which helps out military families who might not otherwise be able to afford a real Christmas tree.
Schilter has donated trees to the troops during previous holiday seasons. His Christmas tree farm has over 180 acres of trees in various stages of growth. He estimates that his farm harvest more than 4,000 trees annually.