The Lanark County Angel Tree program is the longest-running of these initiatives in the Ottawa Valley, according to OPP Detachment Admin Clerk Barbara Paul.
The “angels”, assigned to trees, are children directly affiliated with Family and Children’s Services and affiliated programs.
The goal is to provide a Christmas gift for each child.
There will also be a selection of Tags as an option of purchasing a gift card for a teen or groceries for a family.
Ensure the Angel Card is affixed to the gift AND the gift contents are printed on the back of the card.
Return gifts (preferably unwrapped or in a gift bag) to the tree before Friday, December 1st.
The Lanark County municipal offices of Tay Valley, Lanark Highlands, Drummond-North Elmsley, Montague, Beckwith, Town of Mississippi Mills and the Pakenham Library have been with the program since the beginning.
A list of participating community partners includes: in Perth: Albany, Eaton, Lanark County Administration, Wilson Street Auto Fleet & Tire, Spring Children, Perth Hospital, Perth Athletic Center, Lanark Dance Company, Perth Town Hall and Uniglass Plus.
In Carleton Place the community partners are Kirk Orthodontics, Walmart, Connect Well, Ricks Glass Medic and Tinting, The Studio School of Dance and Heritage Dental.
In Smiths Falls, OPP East Region Headquarters continues to conduct an internal distribution of angels to OPP employees and Rideau Home Hardware is the community partner.
Donations of money and items of new clothing/toys are gratefully accepted.
OPP, with the assistance of Lanark County Crime Stoppers, will be collecting from all of the locations on December 4th and 5th and delivering them to Family and Children’s Services for distribution.
Lanark County OPP and Family and Children’s Services thank everyone for participating!
By Rick Stow