In an effort to get people more into the Christmas spirit this year, Life Quest Chiropractic in Alexandria decided to do something different with its Christmas tree.
Instead of using red and green bulbous ornaments, the staff decorated it in red and blue to pay tribute to veterans and their families.
In addition to the color scheme, flags were placed among the tree branches, and a mass email was sent out to all Life Quest patients, offering them the chance to bring in a decoration for the tree or the boots of their loved ones to remember both those who are currently deployed and those who have sacrificed their lives.
“We want to help keep their memory and presence alive this holiday season,” office manager Joan Olson said.
Life Quest also posted two videos on Facebook, inviting people to come in and contribute something to a donation jar. All proceeds will be given to the Eagle’s Healing Nest in Sauk Centre.
ADVERTISEMENT
Eagle’s Healing Nest helps veterans and their families “healing the invisible wounds of war,” such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction.
Chiropractic assistant Amanda Lynn has spent more than 1,000 hours volunteering for Eagle’s Healing Nest over the last seven years. Lynn informed her coworkers that the organization doesn't accept any government loans or grants, so it’s all funded through donations.
Life Quest is a part of the Veterans Affairs community network, so Olson said caring for veterans is a significant part of their practice.
“We feel like we can give back to our community by being able to care for them,” she said.
Next year, Olson said she’d like to decorate similarly for Christmas but start earlier in December and get veterans more involved.
Olson said patients who come into the office have started sharing their stories with staff members because of the decorations. One patient said she wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit until she saw that tree, so she had to sit and gaze at it for a while.
“It’s been really awesome to see people come in randomly that saw it on our Facebook page,” Olson said.
Donations can be made through Thursday, Dec. 31. There’s a jar located in the Life Quest office, or checks can be made out to Eagle’s Healing Nest and mailed to P.O. 533 in Alexandria.
