Betsy Perales, center, was honored Tuesday May 9, during the Van Buren County Commissioners’ Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting. Perales was honored nationally by the Christmas Spirit Foundation with a Christmas SPIRIT Award. She also received a state Special Tribute that read in part, “Since its inception in 2005, the “Trees for Troops” program has provided nearly three hundred thousand trees to armed services bases throughout the country. Each year, Betsy organizes local volunteers at Wahmhoff Farms, Gobles, on the Monday after Thanksgiving to load donated Christmas trees for delivery to military personnel. Betsy has expanded on this program by asking local elementary students to write Christmas cards to the troops that she attaches to each tree, thanking the participants with thank you notes from the troops, and promoting the program through veterans’ organizations, schools, and the local media.
We commend Betsy Perales for her leadership with this program in Southwest Michigan and for her bright Christmas spirit that has uplifted many thousands of military members and their families. ….We and the State of Michigan are grateful for her tireless dedication to the Trees for Troops program and look forward to loading many more Christmas trees with her in the years to come.” Shown with Perales is, at left, Richard Godfrey, Van Buren County Commissioner, and at right, Josh Przygocki, District Director, Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt.
Courier-Leader photo/Paul Garrod