The Chicago Christmas Tree Ship Committee Friends, numbering in the thousands, are supporters who make this incredible operation possible.

Our Partners provide financial stability and the ability to contract for trees a year in advance. Not only does provide purchases at a lower cost to assure more families will be served but also allows us to schedule all other activities well in advance in an organized manner.

Our Donors assure prompt payment for all of the trees each year and keep a constant flow of adjunct services planned well in advance from cooperating community and faith based organizations.

Participating Organizations are our life blood of volunteers and support groups that work together with us and each other to make this event happen. They provide over a thousand on site volunteers to accomplish the tasks of the day. They are made of the following groups.

Our Youth Organizations do the heavy lifting at the event. This includes tree offloading, sorting and loading to designated community service trucks headed to our inner city distribution centers at approximately 20 locations in the inner city. They accomplish our kids helping kids ideals.

Our Outstanding Schools program which includes Chicago’s best Military academies, NJROTC hosting schools and their programs provide Choirs, bands, and color Guards They also assist in the many youth training and educational programs held on the Mackinaw, at Navy Pier and at Columbia Yacht Club,

Our Civic Organizations are the committed organizations that help coordinate our volunteer corps and provide many of the programs for the general public in attendance. This includes tour guides, escorts, press escorts and volunteers manning the registration desk and guest information center.

Our Community Organizations provide the recipient selection process, distribute the trees and services to qualified and needy recipients and provide and coordinate spiritual support and social services.

Cooperating Government Agencies - There are a number of local, state and federal government agencies that provide essential support to the Chicago’s Christmas Tree Ship. They include the Marine rescues services and lakefront and waterway agencies that share the humanitarian mission to which we all adhere.

Special Service Providers are frequently generous businesses that would otherwise would be vendors to us, but instead wish that through their gifts to us assure that all tree donations are used exclusively for trees. This is a unique factor for this unusual Chicago Charity, no outside costs, no staff cost and no reimbursements, all tree donations go exclusively for trees.

Special Thanks is given to our talented celebrities and other professionals who generously donate their talent to make this operation a  truly world class event. Not only do they perform but also provide direction and planning for the many aspects of the two day event.

Special Appreciation is given to those organizations that over an extended period have provided exceptional support which was material to accomplishing our mission.