‘Angel Tree’ up now at Anderson County Courthouse
Anderson County Buildings and Grounds Director Roger Lloyd places the star on the courthouse Angel Tree. His team of Kimberly McKamey, Julie Wilson, and Ricky Irwin love decorating the Angel Tree. And, Rebecca Daugherty, the courtesy-booth attendant, helps manage the Angel adoption list.
The courthouse tree was decorated on Friday afternoon last week, and it contains the gift information from more than two dozen students – “angels” – in the Anderson County school system. Students range in age from pre-kindergarten to high school.
Leean Tupper, administrative assistant to Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, works with school guidance counselors each year to gather the information for the tree.
“I want to thank Leean and the wonderful folks in our Anderson County school system for working together to identify children in our community who are our ‘angels’ on the tree,” Frank said. “The Angel Tree gives us an opportunity to share love and kindness – and make a child’s Christmas extra special. This is the eighth year our Courthouse team has hosted the Angel Tree, and numerous employees and officeholders, citizens, attorneys and churches have adopted ‘angels’ and filled their Christmas lists. These generous people are greatly appreciated, and I hope they are blessed for their kindness.”
The county’s Buildings and Grounds team, which includes Kimberly McKamey, Julie Wilson and Ricky Irwin, all help in setting up and decorating the tree each year, and they are instrumental with the gathering of the packages on the days they deliver them to the schools. “We couldn’t do what we do without them,” Tupper said.
This year’s courthouse Angel Tree has fewer than 12 students’ wish lists still hanging among its limbs; many of the angels were taken by employees and community members on Friday when the tree was first put up. Because so many angels have been taken already, Anderson County is working to see if additional students may be added to this year’s tree.
Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 5 p.m. is the last day to return to the County Mayor’s Office any gifts that have been purchased for a child. Any gifts must be wrapped and tagged with the child’s ID number (found on each angel), and all gifts should be bagged or boxed together.
Gifts will be delivered to counselors at the schools on Dec. 15 and 16, just before the school system’s Christmas break begins.