Naval Academy Students Decorating Tree To Inspire Giving

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — It's the kick off to an annual season of giving.

Tuesday, midshipmen at the Naval Academy celebrated the school's annual giving tree. WJZ's Marcus Washington was there.

For 26 years now, the Naval Academy has celebrated the start of the holidays with the lighting of its official tree.

Midshipmen decorate the tree with paper and angel ornaments provided by the Salvation Army. Each one has the name, age, gender, clothing sizes and a wish list of items for a needy child in the area.

Then the midshipmen, and faculty and staff members at the school, remove them and get gifts for the kids.

"I try not to look at age or name or anything, just what's exciting to shop for," one midshipman said.

"It's really a selfless form of giving, because the midshipmen will never see these kids and the kids won't see the midshipmen," added Cabot Bisbee, another student. "I think it's one of the purest forms of generosity."

All the gifts will be collected on December 13, and delivered to all 500 kids before Christmas morning.

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