With the holiday season in the mists, many families are out buying presents for their children, but what about the families that can’t afford presents? 

The PJ Tree is a project that the Blue Mountain Student Council has hosted for two years, with the goal of giving back to the community during the holidays. Student Council collaborates with Ryegate Santa, BMU staff, and community members to ensure every kid in the Ryegate community can open a present this holiday season. Once the Student Council gets a list of kids in Ryegate, they create tags with general information about the recipient that will be put on the tree located in the senior lounge. 

The PJ tree is open to anyone willing to give, including students. “Younger students take a tag and learn about giving to others,” comments Student Council advisor Michelle Kanlins.

Many students have taken tags to give back to the community already. “I think the tree is a great way to give back to the community. Personally, I love helping people out and giving them something that just makes their day a little better.” senior Madisyn Christy explains. The PJ Tree still has tags ready to be taken; all PJs and tags are due back under the tree by  December 15, 2024. 

Here’s how the PJ Tree works: Pick a tag(s), put your name and the tag(s) number on the sign-out sheet, buy a set of PJs, wrap the PJs up, attach the tag to the gift, and return the PJs to the tree. 

The Ryegate Santa is still looking for people to sponsor families for the near feature; read Community in Need for more information.