Okaloosa County School District Superintendent Marcus Chambers announced Wednesday the launch of the district’s first Angel Tree program to ensure students in need receive gifts this holiday season.

• The new initiative invites community members to sponsor specific students by providing Christmas gifts. 

Members of the public can visit the district’s website at www.okaloosaschools.com and complete an online form requesting to sponsor a child. Sponsors will receive the gender, age and gift requests for their assigned student within 24 hours via email.

You can also visit the district’s office at 202A Hwy 85 North in Niceville between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays beginning Dec. 4 to select a paper angel tag from a tree with student gift requests.

• All donated gifts should have the corresponding angel tag attached and be wrapped. Gifts must be returned to the district office by Dec. 15.

“Every day, our schools take care of our families and we as a district want to add a layer of support by asking our community to join us in making sure our students have a happy holiday,” Chambers said in a statement.

For more information on the Angel Tree initiative, contact district spokesperson Catherine Card at catherine.card@okaloosaschools.com.