A year after James Ward, a laid-off truck driver from Westminster, MD, started Operation Christmas Tree the project has grown into a national effort and shipped 5,000 potted trees this holiday season. James started Operation Christmas Tree in 2006 to cheer up his deployed stepdaughter and her unit in Iraq. Local businesses, and the Armed Forces Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit helping the families of deployed troops, contributed $80,000. The troops' family members paid the remaining costs.
Implications - These 5,000 potted trees to deployed troops is a heartwarming story. James Ward sent the troops the trees after his daughter was deployed in Iraq. This truly makes in the spirit of giving and caring for others that Christmas is might to stand for.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Sending Trees to Deployed Troops
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a business model for shipping live trees to deployed troops during the holiday season.
- National Efforts in Supporting Troops
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a platform or organization that coordinates national efforts in supporting deployed troops and their families.
- Personalized Gifts for Deployed Troops
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design and produce personalized gifts specifically tailored for deployed troops to boost morale and provide comfort.
Sectors Adopting This
- E-commerce and Logistics
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a specialized e-commerce platform focused on shipping live plants, including trees, to remote locations.
- Nonprofit and Military Support Organizations
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Establish a nonprofit organization that connects businesses, individuals, and military support foundations to facilitate efficient and widespread support for deployed troops and their families.
- Gift and Personalization Industry
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce innovative techniques and technologies in the gift and personalization industry to create unique and customizable products specifically for deployed troops.
