FedEx Delivers Holiday Joy to the Troops

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

FedEx Corp. FDX and the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation are once again joining together to make the holidays a little brighter for America's service members and their families with the Trees for Troops program.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the program, which brings together FedEx, the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and tree farmers across America to deliver real Christmas trees to service members stationed across the U.S. and overseas.

During the busy weeks leading up to Christmas, FedEx will deliver more than 17,000 live Christmas trees to more than 60 military bases.

"Delivering Christmas trees to our troops is one of our most treasured holiday traditions,” said Bill Logue, president and CEO, FedEx Freight. “We are proud to leverage our logistics network through this program to honor and give back to America's servicemen and women.”

Delivering Holiday Joy at Home and Overseas

The Trees for Troops initiative kicks off today in Thorntown, Ind., as FedEx volunteers help prepare nearly 200 live Christmas trees to be shipped to service members stationed overseas. The Christmas trees, donated by members of the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association, will be delivered to service members stationed in the Middle East and South Pacific via the FedEx Express hub in Indianapolis.

Once the international deliveries have taken flight, FedEx Freight will hit the road with more than 17,000 fresh-cut Christmas trees to be delivered to U.S. military bases beginning Dec. 1, with final deliveries scheduled for Dec. 13. Many of these deliveries include special holiday festivities in which military families receive their anticipated Christmas tree.

Join the Effort

As part of the program, National Christmas Tree Association members around the country donate thousands of fresh trees to Trees for Troops through the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation. Support Trees for Troops by donating to the program and/or purchasing fresh trees at one of more than 30 Christmas tree retail locations nationally during the official Trees for Troops weekend, Dec. 5-7. Donated trees will be added to the program's planned deliveries to U.S. bases during 2014. More information on how to get involved can be found at www.treesfortroops.org.

Trees for Troops will also send holiday greetings to service members this year with the Tag-a-Tree campaign. Tweet your message using the hashtag #TreesforTroops from Nov. 18-25, and your message may be selected for placement on a tag for one of the 17,000 Christmas trees going to troops across the country.

“Being involved with Trees for Troops is truly a gift that gives back,” said Nigel Manley, Christmas SPIRIT Foundation chairman. “It's rewarding and meaningful to everyone involved, because it gives us the opportunity to say thank you to our troops, and help ensure military families have the kind of joyful, traditional Christmas memories that we would wish for America's heroes.”

Trees for Troops is part of FedEx Special Delivery, a nationwide FedEx program that supports local organizations by donating transportation services and other assistance to help them fulfill their missions. Since the Trees for Troops program launched in 2005, FedEx has shipped more than 139,000 real Christmas trees to service members and their families—covering every branch of the military at more than 60 bases in 17 countries.

For information about the peak holiday season at FedEx, visit the FedEx Newsroom.

About FedEx

FedEx Corp. FDX provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $46 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

About the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation

The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that works to recognize and support the true spirit of Christmas for U.S. troops through the Trees for Troops® program. The foundation was established in 2005 as the charitable branch of the National Christmas Tree Association and is among fewer than five percent of U.S. charities to be awarded the “Best in America” seal of excellence by Independent Charities of America. Trees for Troops was a Top 20 Finalist in the 2012 Joining Forces Campaign, a White House initiative that honors exemplary support organizations for military families. To learn more, visit www.treesfortroops.org or call 636-449-5060.

About the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA)

The National Christmas Tree Association is the national trade association representing the farm-grown Christmas tree industry. NCTA represents more than 600 active member farms, 29 state and regional associations, and 4,000 affiliated businesses that grow and sell Christmas trees or provide related supplies and services. It is estimated that those affiliated with the NCTA produce roughly three-quarters of the farm-raised Christmas trees in the United States. To learn more, visit www.realchristmastrees.org or call 636-449-5070.

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