School's 'Giving Tree' Turns Into 'Giving Counter'

School's 'Giving Tree' Turns Into 'Giving Counter'

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Story Published: Dec 6, 2005 at 3:32 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 2:09 AM PDT

By Bryan Johnson

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BELLEVUE - School kids at Medina Elementary wanted to help those less fortunate.

The kids and their parents decided on a "Giving Tree." It would have mittens as decorations and the mittens would carry the age and sex of the person getting the present and what they would really like this holiday season.

But the efforts ran afoul of some sensibilities. A parent complained that the tree was a Christian symbol. The principal agreed to remove the tree, but continue the giving effort.

The school is now operating near the Crossroads district of Bellevue as Medina Elementary is being rebuilt.

Near Crossroads, Mike Eddy has a Christmas tree lot.

He says the trees are symbols to him: "Well, for me, it is a very religious thing for me. I'm a Christian man and it is a symbol of Christianity."

Exactly why it's a Christmas symbol is a subject of lot of lofty arguments. But we all call them Christmas trees.

"Well, I was very gently reminded that the tree represents some part of Christianity," Principal Betsy Hill told KOMO 4 News.

The tree, itself, was a nondescript coil of silver with a star on top. The school covered the star with a bow. But that wasn't enough for the critic.

And the principal had a thought. "We can easily carry on our giving efforts whether we put the mittens on a sled, a snowman, a tree, or a counter," she said. "And so our mittens are now on the counter."

A sign edited by the student has a line through tree of "Giving Tree" and above the word tree is counter.

But her decision to put the mittens on the counter is lighting up the phones.

According to the school's officer director Chris Metzger, many callers are upset. "Generally they are disappointed that we had to take the tree down that it's come to that," he said.

"I think there are about as many people calling to say you did the right thing as there are people calling to say 'you are a coward, you caved in,' " Principal Hill added.

Hill insists she didn't buckle. She says the most important thing is keeping alive the giving spirit and relocating the mittens has allowed that to happen.

Some, like Judy Petrovich, don't understand why the giving tree is history. "A giving counter! That's ridiculous," she said.

Kim Raskin, who is Jewish, says the tree didn't offend her. "I am fully in support of having the Giving Tree."

The school says wherever the mittens are, it's the giving that's important. That's the spirit of... well... the winter season.

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