On Sunday, veteran-led non-profit Welcome Home Military Heroes is set to host its 7th annual "Angel Tree Ride" event.
"Angel Trees" are Christmas trees set up by businesses across the Central Coast.
Each tree is adorned with tags detailing the wishes and needs of local veterans and families in need, which community members can pick from and fulfill.
Sunday's car and motorcycle caravan will visit several "Angel Trees" in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Riders are scheduled to start at Pappy's Restaurant in Santa Maria at 9:30 a.m. and make their way through the eight following locations along the Central Coast:
- VFW Post #2814 in Atascadero
- Veterans Services Office in San Luis Obispo
- Coastal Peaks Coffee in San Luis Obispo
- Peacock Cellars in Arroyo Grande
- Rontal Salon in Arroyo Grande
- Oak Knolls Hardware in Orcutt
- Àla Carte in Santa Maria
- American Legion Post 534 in Orcutt
"Last year, we had about 284 tags. This year, we're over 400. So we've had a huge jump, we still have half of the tags left on the tree," Robert Tolan Jr, a member of Welcome Home Military Heroes, told KSBY.
Organizers say anyone in the community is welcome to ride along or contribute.
