The Giving Tree

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St. Lawrence University

Submitted by Lauren Liebhaber on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 20:50.

While I was on tour last week, a prospective student asked me, "What traditions do you have here?" Admittedly, this is one of my favorite talking points to hit while I'm giving a tour (a sidebar to all prospective students out there- this is a great question to ask a tour guide, file this one away for future use.)  I rattled off one after the other- the chapel bells ringing every day at five o'clock, the Candlelight Service, theme dinners- but I saved my personal favorite for last. The Giving Tree.

Standing at over ten feet tall, the artificial Christmas tree is full of tags, representative of children in the Canton community who could use a little extra holiday cheer.  Each tag provides only the most basic information of a local child, such as their age, clothing size and/or preference of toy.  St. Lawrence students who choose to participate in the anonymous gift giving program can select a tag off of the tree and, by doing so, ultimately make the holidays a bit brighter for a local child in need.

What I love most about the tradition of the Giving Tree is the anonymity of it. Though we never know the names of the children for whom we're buying presents and they'll never know the identity of their local SLU Santa, this tradition reflects the true spirit of the holidays. It's not about buying the most expensive gift or the recognition of doing a good deed. It's about the sincere desire to make a positive difference in the lives of our neighbors during a time when they need it most.

There is an appreciated reciprocity between the Canton community and St. Lawrence University. The tradition of the Giving Tree is the quintessential example of the high regard that SLU has for this relationship. For many Canton children, happiness on Christmas morning will come wrapped in paper and bows. For many SLU students, happiness on Christmas morning will come from knowing they helped make that happen.

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving! I know I'm a week early but SLU has been nice enough to give us students a week off for the holiday :-)

Stay well,

Lauren

The Extended Giving Tree

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on Fri, 11/18/2011 - 04:16.

What a wonderful idea. What about setting up a means to accept donations from outside the campus that can be specifically applied to this cause? The students could pick another random tag and shop for that person with those donations. Surely it could be handled internally via mail, through the SLU site or via a fee free PayPal option. I am sure there are many Alums that still understand and appreciate that community enough to send a small donation along for such a worthy effort. I stand by ready to send mine.