BOONE, N.C. — Hundreds of North Carolina Christmas trees slowly made their way up in a FedEx truck to make the journey to military families states away. These trees will be heading to Fort Seal in Oklahoma and New Orleans.

Mountain farmers donate the trees through Trees for Troops and say it's their way of giving back to those who provide us freedom. 

What You Need To Know

  • Thousands of Christmas trees were donated by mountain farmers for Trees for Troops

  • Trees head to different military families around the country

  • These trees recently went to New Orleans and Oklahoma

"[We] donate them to families whose husbands and wives are deployed. It is our way to show them how much we appreciate their service to our country," said farmer Dee Clark.

Clark has donated trees since the day Trees for Troops program started 19 years ago.

"My family has fought in every war since the revolution, so it is something I hold very dear to my heart, the military service," Clark said.

He donated 60 trees this year and his nephew is currently in the military.

"I think it's something that would really make his Christmas because he grew up working on a tree farm," Clark said.

He knows what these trees mean to families.

"Hopefully it instills the Christmas spirit in them and gives them hope for their family that their significant others will come home for them when its time to come home," Clark said.

It's not only the trees he said, but the small note attached. Each tree has a small picture hand drawn by an elementary school child.

"A little personal note," Clark said.

It's something farmers here say they are honored to do. Farmer Larry Smith brought dozens of trees.

"The military is really the farmers of our government. They get up early everyday. They work hard. They protect us and our freedom so it's quite an honor to be here today and do this," Smith said."The military is really the farmers of our government. They get up early everyday. They work hard. They protect us and our freedom so it's quite an honor to be here today and do this," Smith said.

Even after retiring, farmer Harry Yates still brought 10 trees.

"I believe in the program," Yates said.

The program has made a difference for the past 19 years, executive director Jennifer Green said. 

"North Carolina has donated over 21,000 Christmas trees to the program," Greene said.

Farmers like Clark say they don't plan to stop any time soon.

"We will [donate] as long as we are all allowed to and as long as we have trees to donate," Clark said.