JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Their faces say it all. With ear-to-ear grins, some of our nation’s heroes pose in front of Christmas trees holding stockings stuffed to the brim and it’s all because of the generosity of Action News viewers.
"We need the help of the entire community,” Julie Mixon Bargeron told Action News back in November.
When Bargeron’s 23-year-old son Kelly was killed in action serving overseas two years ago, she decided to devote her life to helping the men and women in uniform who serve our country. It’s in Kelly’s memory, Bargeron decided to do “Trees for the Troops.”
With the help of Memorial United Methodist Church, the donations started rolling in. But twelve larges boxes later, the outpouring of support was greater than they ever imagined.
"We need to make sure it gets there, postage is very expensive,” said Bargeron.
Bargeron was worried they wouldn’t be able to afford to ship the gifts. That’s when Action News viewers stepped in.
Generous viewers saw the story and immediately rose to the occasion raising more than $500 to cover the cost.
And just in time for the holidays, the packages arrived. To show their appreciation, the Marines in Afghanistan on the receiving end sent multiple pictures back along with the following note:
I would like to give my deepest thanks to all who were involved with “Trees for Troops”! The Christmas stockings and trees brought much needed Christmas Cheer. It’s nice to know that we’re not alone out here and there’s still amazing people in our great country who will volunteer their time and resources. Thanks for your gratitude!
With Love and Appreciation,
Sgt. Dylan Paylor
