Trees for Troops
Nigel has been involved with the Christmas Spirit Foundation (CSF) for the past 17 years. The flagship program of the CSF is the Trees for Troops program. Each year over 14,000 trees have been donated by farmers, businesses and private individuals to be given to military families. To date over 300,000 trees have been delivered to Military families.
Nigel served as chair of the CSF for 10 years and as part of this when, in 2012, Trees for Troops was honored at the White House as a top 20 national finalist in the Joining Forces Community Challenge, an initiative started by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to recognize organizations that provide exemplary service and support to military families he got to visit the Pentagon and The White House.
Nigel is still the T4T’s coordinator for NH and VT and is happy that South Farm acts as the collection point for the trees that are donated annually in the two states. Farmers and businesses in the two states donate over 250 trees each year to help military families get a little New England grown Christmas spirit delivered to their homes.
About Trees for Troops
Christmas Tree growers have been providing free trees for military families for many years. In 2005, FedEx contacted the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable branch of the National Christmas Tree Association and wanted to be involved in the foundation’s mission. Together the two organizations expanded the idea of providing Christmas Trees to military families, and Trees for Troops was born. Since 2005, when the program started, 262,265 fresh, farm-grown Christmas Trees have been donated to troops and military families in the United States and overseas through Trees for Troops. Thousands of trees are donated by American farm families and the public, and FedEx Freight delivers these trees to a range of 60 to 80 military bases, across all branches of service in the U.S. and overseas. FedEx has logged more than a million miles for the Trees for Troops program.
While chair of the board Nigel had the wonderful experience of going to the Whitehouse to represent the Trees for Troops program. He never thought that he would ever visit the White House and the Pentagon for any reason so as a first generation in the USA it was an amazing honor. It was 2012 and Trees for Troops was honored at the White House as a top 20 national finalist in the Joining Forces Community Challenge, an initiative started by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to recognize organizations that provide exemplary service and support to military families.
Later in 2017, Trees for Troops, was honored as a recipient of the 2017 Spirit of Hope Award in a ceremony at the Pentagon. The Spirit of Hope Award, established in 1997, is named for comedian and actor Bob Hope and recognizes current and former military members, civilians and organizations that epitomize his values of patriotism, loyalty, freedom, and dedication.
In 2022 16,391 trees were picked up from 54 locations, 390 from NH and VT at South Farm. These trees were delivered to 84 bases in the USA.
Locally Nigel Manley, farmer and co-owner of South Farm, Sue Greenlaw, principal of the Bethlehem Elementary School, Warren Miller, Miller Plumbing and Heating, Duane Cote, GM Littleton Chevrolet and Bill and Barbie Wilczek have won Christmas Spirit Awards from The Christmas Spirit Foundation for their work with the Trees for Troops program.
