Giving Tree deadline approaches

Parents who want their children included on the Valley Service Organization’s (VSO) 2013 Giving Tree now have until Friday to submit their requests.

Sudie Trowbridge, VSO co-chair for the Giving Tree, said the forms may be left at the Saratoga Elementary School office. The forms provide information for the gift tags, which will include the child’s age, sex, favorite colors, interests and gift wishes. Persons wishing to provide gifts for the children can pick up the tags starting Monday, Nov. 25 from the tree at Town & Country Realty. Gifts are to be taken to Town & Country and unwrapped by Friday, Dec. 13. VSO will distribute the gifts to the parents Dec. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at The Hub (Big Brothers/Big Sisters).

Trowbridge said VSO has organized this project for several years to provide gifts for Valley children who might otherwise not have much of a Christmas. In 2009 it was expanded to include group donors as well as individuals, with the groups invited to “adopt” entire families for the holidays by providing gifts for the children and Christmas dinner groceries.

Trowbridge emphasized that the names of all children and families involved in the project are kept in the strictest confidence, with only one VSO member having access to the information, which is destroyed upon completion of the project.

Parents who wish to see their children benefit from the Giving Tree should return the profile forms by Friday.