T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Sharing Tree organizer and Shadyside Village Councilwoman Melanie Haswell, right, is pictured with, from left, her daughter-in-law Nikki Butts and grandchildren Ella and Karson Butts as they prepare for the 33rd annual Shadyside Sharing Tree season to get underway.

SHADYSIDE — Although the weather may not feel like it, the holiday season is right around the corner.

The Shadyside Sharing Tree project is gearing up for its 33rd year of providing Christmas presents to the underprivileged students within the Shadyside Local School District.

“My mom started it 33 years ago. She has since passed approximately 14 years ago, so I’ve carried it on since,” campaign organizer and Shadyside Village Councilwoman Melanie Haswell said.

She added that although the Sharing Tree is only for students within the Shadyside school district, there is an exception for siblings of students who receive gifts.

Haswell sends home informational papers with Shadyside students explaining what the program is along with a sign-up sheet for students to return no later than today. The sign-up sheet asks for the child’s name, if they are a boy or girl, the child’s parent’s name and phone number, the child’s age, home address, what grade and which school the child goes to, their teacher’s name, and parents’ annual income.

It also asks for reasonable suggestions for gifts that the child would like to receive from the Sharing Tree, such as toys, dolls, board games and specific electronic games for specific devices.

“If you don’t name the device for electronic games, we won’t know,” the Sharing Tree informational sheet states.

Haswell added that in addition to the information sheets, a parent broadcast is released adding that the Sharing Tree is for anyone in need of a little extra help throughout the holiday season.

The age requirements for the children to receive gifts from the Sharing Tree is any infant to high school senior in the Shadyside Local School District.

“If any of the Shadyside students have a younger brother or sister that aren’t in school, they can be a part of it and we go all the way up to the teenagers,” Haswell said.

She added that she is starting earlier than in past years in hopes that bargain items can be purchased.

“It’s only a month and a half long process,” she said. “I’m always open for donations so that I can buy the more expensive items for the students. Teenagers want to be like the other teenagers, they want the American Eagle and clothes from Buckle, the things that are more expensive.”

Haswell then thanked her daughter-in-law Nikki Butts for being a big help each year. Butts is a third grade teacher at Leona Middle School who helps collect the returned papers that include the kids’ information. Once the papers are gathered Haswell, Butts and volunteer Fray Sobray make over 100 stars that display the items the children asked for. Once the stars are completed, Haswell distributes the stars to anyone who would like to donate to the cause. She added that when her parents, Ray and Bette Ponzo, started the initiative, Bette would put all of the stars on a tree and display the tree at the mayor’s office. But, as the organization continued to grow each year, it became too difficult to fit all of the stars onto a tree.

To contact Haswell about donating to her cause, call her at 740-391-5015, contact her through her social media accounts or send monetary donations to 400 W. 39th St., Shadyside, OH 43947.