The Greenwood Salvation Army, in an effort to brighten the lives of children, began holding its annual Angel Tree giving program this morning.
The line at the armory on Sycamore Avenue began forming before 8 a.m., even in the rain. Families were scheduled to arrive in 15-minute intervals.
The distribution was expected to continue until about 3 p.m. just because of the number of families being helped this year, said Lt. Benjamin Deuel, who serves as the Army’s corps officer for Greenwood, along with his wife, Lt. Wendy Deuel.
“This year we have 282 families and 698 children,” Deuel said.
Each family, besides receiving toys for the children, received “happy bags” of goodies. The armory’s gymnasium was filled with bags, each with a family’s number attached to it.
The joy of the Christmas season won’t be lost on the families helped by Angel Tree, Deuel said. He thanked the community for making Angel Tree a success this year.
“Everyone in the community came together and supported the Salvation Army. It was wonderful,” he said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
