The Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw is heading from Michigan to Chicago with 1,300 Christmas trees on board for less fortunate families.
Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce Director Carole Yeck says it commemorates a 1912 Christmas tree ship that was lost at sea.
“There’s a foundation that buys the trees from all over Michigan and brings them to northern Michigan,” Yeck said. “We load them on to the ship. We had about 1,300 trees this year/. We have high school kids from around the area that helped us load, along with community members.”
Yeck says each tree has a Christmas card this year, asking whoever receives it to send a picture of the decorated tree back to them so the kids can see what a difference they are making.
In recent years, the Coast Guard has used the Mackinaw to deliver Christmas trees from Saginaw to Chicago. Community groups load up the trees and then they’re shipped out.
