Grant a special wish this holiday season

Published on November 14, 2023

For the 19^th consecutive year, the Wendy Gainey Memorial Christmas Tree is standing tall in the rotunda of the Cabarrus County Government Center.

The program continues to grow, with Gainey trees at multiple other sites including the Senior Center (Concord) and the Mt. Pleasant, Kannapolis, Concord and Harrisburg branches of the Cabarrus County Library System.

The trees have a special purpose—to help meet local wishes and needs this holiday season. Like an angel tree, they’re filled with tags that list toys, books and video games, along with essentials, like socks, blankets and soap.

Cabarrus residents are invited to join County employees in selecting a tag and making a holiday wish a reality for local children, senior citizens, veterans and more.

The Gainey Trees are hosted each year by Cabarrus County Helping Hearts and Hands (Ch3), an employee-led charitable committee. Formerly called the Ch3 Helping Hands Tree, the program was renamed in 2011 to honor the memory of Wendy Gainey, a long-time employee of Cabarrus County who was passionate about giving back to our community.

Here’s how it works:

• Select a gift tag from one of the Gainey trees
• On the table beside the tree, register your name and tag ID number on the sign-up sheet
• Purchase your choice of items from the wish list
• Do not wrap the gifts. Place the gifts in an open bag and label them with the tag ID number.
• Return the gifts by Friday, December 1, at 5 p.m. where you picked up the tag. Drop-off instructions are located on the table beside the tree.

For questions or additional information, call 704-920-2864.