The Giving Tree has been a part of Christmas in Martensville since 2016 when Margaret Lamont first decided to bring the opportunity to the local residents by putting the tree in the Martensville Canadian Tire lobby.
“The concept of the Giving Tree is to provide an opportunity for the community to give back to those who may need a little extra help at Christmas,” Lamont explained.
The Giving Tree is filled with ornaments that have been decorated by students at Ecole Holy Mary School and includes the name, age and gender of a child from Martensville or Saskatoon that is in need of a gift this holiday season. “The children love decorating the ornaments and it helps to get them thinking of ways to help out or give back,” Lamont added.
Those interested in participating in the Giving Tree can choose an ornament and purchase a gift for the child listed, then return the wrapped gift to customer service at Canadian Tire on or before Friday, December 10th. Ornaments can then be hung on your own tree as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.
“Many people put a great deal of thought into their gift, including personal sentiments and messages to the child and their family. Many families bring their own children to choose a child and let them do the shopping. It is a great way to teach our children that there is so much more to Christmas.”
Over the years, Lamont has even seen people that have been in a position where they needed a little extra help in previous years, and now are grateful to be able to give back and help someone else. Each year, approximately 120 children receive gifts thanks to those that contribute to the Giving Tree.
As of Monday, there were very few decorations remaining on the tree, if any, and the tree will be taken down this Friday. For those in need of a little extra help, emails can be sent to thegivingtree2016@outlook.com.
