Finding Gifts For The Angels On Tulsa's Salvation Army's Angel Tree

Each year, News On 6 encourages everyone to adopt an angel from the Tulsa's Salvation Army Angel Tree.

More than 9,000 names are listed this year. Tuesday, we met a couple of boys and their connection to the tree. 

Dakota Gardenier is volunteering at the Angel Tree. He and his brother Kaine helped set up the display and give folks a hand choosing their angels. They know first hand the importance of the Angel Tree, because they both were once angels themselves.

"I got angel tree because I was in foster care for a long time.  I got gifts and I got that for two years and then my mom adopted me," said Dakota Gardenier.

"Getting Christmas presents was kind of hard because foster parents had kids of their own.  So one night we were taken to the roller rink and we stayed there and played for awhile and then they had us all sit down on the floor and they called out our names one by one and I was the happiest kid in the world that they actually got me presents. It was really neat," said Kaine Gardenier.

Dakota, Kaine and their new brother Keith are now family and by volunteering at the Salvation Army's Angel Tree, they are encouraging others to help.

"I'd tell them that there's kids out there that got taken away from their mom and now they really need someone to help them out and I'd try to help them find someone," said Dakota Gardenier.

When you select an angel from the tree, remember it's more than just a name, it's someone's life you can impact in a very real way.

The deadline to return gifts for the Angel Tree is December 12, 2014. You can visit the Angel Tree at Woodland Hills Mall or Promenade Mall in Tulsa.