Cape High students decorate trees for families in need

Inside the Cape High rotunda, visitors are greeted by a line of trees trimmed for the holiday.

Decorated by school teams and clubs, the trees will be delivered to families in need on Friday, Dec. 21, the first day of winter break, Principal Nikki Miller said.

“Whatever is on the tree goes with the tree to families,” Miller said.

Last year, Miller said the school donated trees to families through the Cape Community Cares program. She said she never realized the impact the trees had on families until she spoke with Cape homeless liaison Shawna Steinmann.

“She said they gave a tree to a family, and the mom was just crying because they never had a tree before,” Miller said.

Students spent time personalizing their trees. The baseball team’s tree has a knit Cape hat and a state championship T-shirt. Other teams hung hand-cut ornaments or pictures of student-athletes in action. Family and consumer science students created a tree in the shape of an evening gown.

Student Roberto Marin-Landa worked on a tree for the Raising Student Voices and Participation club. Along with colorful ornaments, the tree holds construction-paper ornaments labeled “soap” or “toiletries.”

“It’s a giving tree,” he said. “You pick out an item on the tree and buy what’s on it to give to the family.”

A large box next to the tree holds essentials donated by Cape High students.