Dees', a plant and flower nursery, is an old time, family business that has been located just off the main runways at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Oceanside, New York since 1958.
  Dees' spends most of the year selling plants and trees and lawn care products to people from all over the metropolitan area.
  But once a year for the past eight years now, Dees' chops down several hundred Christmas Trees from its big farm in Maine and, in partnership with DHL, sends the trees free of charge to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
  The Christmas Trees for Troops initiative was launched in December 2004 after local businessman Jim Adelis overheard a woman at Dees' Nursery near JFK inquiring about how to ship a Christmas tree to her son in Iraq.
  Adelis, whose son was stationed in Iraq at the time, reached out to DHL and the local community to deliver more than just a single tree.
  Usually the press pick-up of this event goes mostly to DHL and their big trailers and airplanes, and the helicopter with Santa aboard that shows up at Dees' for the Christmas tree shipment before the evergreens are sent to the airport for departure.
  This year, after all the ballyhoo, we visited Dees' that, as it turns out, has really great, fresh cut trees for sale. We had the opportunity to speak to Joseph and Tom DiDominica, who had just received some pictures of the big tree shipment’s arrival. “We will continue to provide these trees until the soldiers get home,” Tom said.
  “That is the least we can do to support our troops,” said brother Joe.
  Business is business, but these brothers bring home the real meaning of Christmas and make the Yuletide bright.
  Dees' is located at: 69 Atlantic Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. (516) 678-3535. www.deesnursery.com