OPP Angel Tree Program Launches 38th Year

Press Release – Lanark County OPP

PLEASE NOTE: Angel Tree tags are available at two locations in Mississippi Mills – the Municipal Office (3131 Old Perth Road), and the Pakenham Branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library (128 MacFarlane Street).

It’s year 38 for the Angel Tree program in Lanark County and the surrounding area. This year Family and Children’s Service of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville / Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Angel Tree program is starting off with a record 940 angels!

The “angels,” assigned to trees, are children directly affiliated with Family and Children’s Services and affiliated programs. The goal is to provide a Christmas gift for each child. There will also be a selection of Tags as an option of purchasing a gift card for a teen or groceries for a family.

The Lanark County municipal offices of Mississippi Mills, Tay Valley, Lanark Highlands, Drummond-North Elmsley, Montague, Beckwith, and the Pakenham Library have been with the program since the beginning and are participating once again. We thank those employees who continue to monitor the trees and assist with the dispersal of the angels into the communities.

Our community partners this year in Perth are Albany, Eaton, Lanark County Administration, Wilson Street Auto Fleet & Tire, Spring Children, Perth Hospital, Perth Athletic Center, Lanark Dance Company, Perth Town Hall and Uniglass Plus. In Carleton Place, the community partners are Kirk Orthodontics, Walmart, Connect Well, Ricks Glass Medic and Tinting, The Studio School of Dance and Heritage Dental. These community partners broaden the dispersal of angels within their workspaces and are a great assistance to our program.

In Smiths Falls, OPP East Region Headquarters will continue to conduct an internal distribution of angels to OPP employees and Rideau Home Hardware will be our community partner.

We are certain that this year’s goal will be met. On October 31, Angel Trees bearing “Angel Cards” were be distributed for pickup to the following locations for anyone wishing to select an angel. We appreciate the support more than ever this year.                                                            

Return gifts (preferably unwrapped or in a gift bag) to the tree before Friday, December 1, 2023. Ensure the Angel Card is affixed to the gift AND the gift contents are printed on the back of the card.

Donations of money and items of new clothing/toys are gratefully accepted. Lanark County OPP will be collecting from all of the locations on December 4 and 5 and delivering them to Family and Children’s Services for distribution.

We thank everyone for participating! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!