Choose Your Tag from the Holiday Helper Tree by November 21

November 7, 2014

A kickoff celebration for The Holiday Helper Tree initiative was held in Russell Union this week with help from pre-K students in Statesboro’s Head Start Program. The students sang before the lighting of the tree and then participants were able to choose a tag. Watch the countdown: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwZUT3kxzX35WG5XWkZnUmFEaTA/view?usp=sharing “The Holiday Helper Tree, which is in its 21st year, is just one way that our students, faculty and staff have to give back to the Statesboro-Bulloch County community,” said Todd Deal, director of the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. Placed in Russell Union, the Holiday Helper Tree contains more than 850 tags with the name and gift idea of a local individual or family. Participants are encouraged to take a tag and use it as guidance to support families who are less fortunate this holiday season through 15 non-profit Statesboro agencies. Participants may select tags Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. until Friday, Nov. 21. All gifts are due Tuesday, Dec. 2. Begun in 1994 by Eileen Smith, senior administrative secretary in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the Holiday Helper Tree was conceived in the spirit of community service, caring and giving. In addition, monetary and gift wrap donations are also accepted. For more information, contact the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at 912-478-1435. Sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, the Holiday Helper Tree has been a tradition for 21 years at Georgia Southern University.