Holiday Sharing Tree project kicks off for 36th year

Nov. 10—NORTH MANKATO — The 36th Holiday Sharing Tree project is underway, with a special piece of the past to help celebrate the annual event that provides gifts to those in need in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties.

At a kickoff event Wednesday at Taylor Library, Project Manager Liz Thiesse showed off the original painting done by the late Marian Anderson in 2004 to commemorate the 20th Sharing Tree anniversary. Prints were made of the painting and have been sold since to raise funds for the Sharing Tree program.

"We haven't seen the original since 2004 so it's nice to see it again," Thiesse said.

The original will be on display at the Blue Earth County Historical Society through the holidays, where prints of the painting also will be available for sale.

The original was brought back for display by Helen Dale, of Waterville, and her daughter Laura Portz, of Wayzata, who acquired it from their close friend Anderson. Anderson, who died in January, had painted a portrait of Dale's husband and a portrait of Portz when she was pregnant with her first child.

"She said she was excited to do it because she'd never painted a portrait of someone who was pregnant," Dale said.

The Holiday Sharing Tree began in 1985 helping 185 families. Last season the program helped more than 900 families.

"Since it started 36 years ago, we've distributed more than 70,000 gifts to those in need," Thiesse said.

Again this season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program is operating a little differently. Prior to last year, the program asked individuals to buy certain basic-needs gifts for people, which volunteers would then distribute. Gift-wrapping and processing days were often bustling operations requiring dozens of volunteers in close contact.

Organizers last year and this year shifted to gift cards. Individuals can pick up envelopes with listed needs on Christmas trees at several Mankato, North Mankato or St. Peter locations before buying a gift card and returning the envelopes by slotting them into drop boxes back at the trees.

Gift cards are due back by 5 p.m. Dec. 12.

The gift cards will then be distributed via a drive-thru event.

Cards can be picked up and dropped off at any of the following locations: River Hills Mall, Fleet Farm, North Mankato Taylor Library, both Hy-Vee locations in Mankato, and in St. Peter at First National Bank Minnesota, Nutter Clothing and Hy-Vee.

Thiesse said recipients like getting the gift cards from stores of their choice or from online stores such as Amazon. "That way they can pick the color and size of what they want, whether it's towels or pillow cases or clothes."

Cash donations will be used to fill giving cards that are not picked up or are not returned.

Checks or cash donations can be sent to: Holiday Sharing Tree, P.O. Box 4261, Mankato, MN 56002.

Online donations can be made through PayPal at www.holidaysharingtree.org.

For more information, visit: holidaysharingtree.org.