There’s a little tree by the front desk of the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building that has gift tags hanging from it. It’s a Wishing Tree.
Each one has a single item written down — often a pack of colored pencils or a board game — that a child hopes to receive this holiday season. Each of the children is from a family who is accessing mental health and substance abuse treatment through Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) or the Stepping Stones/Friends of Drug Court Foundation.
Each year, those organizations host a holiday gathering to provide a fun, sober night of festivities where organizers give a toy to each child in attendance. This year, the turnout will be about 200 children. For many of those children, the gift they receive that night will be the only holiday gift they receive.
The Eccles School is sponsoring the Wishing Tree this year to help provide those gifts. Here’s how you can help:
- Select a wish tag from the tree with the item you wish to purchase.
- Write your name and phone number on the second tag attached to the wishing tag, and place it into the gift-wrapped box placed next to the tree. (This is how organizers know who has committed to buy each item, and a way for us to contact each donor should they need a receipt for items.)
- Purchase the item listed on each tag you select and drop the gift off (unwrapped) in the box located underneath the tree. Let the front desk staff know it is there so they can secure it after business hours.
- Gift certificates/cards or monetary contributions are accepted, but please deliver those donations to the front desk staff during weekday business hours.
- The Wishing Tree will be taken down Dec. 17 at 5 p.m., so all gifts will need to be dropped off by then.
If you have any questions, please contact Ali Shelley at 801-661-4793 or alishelley@myusara.com.