THORNTOWN, ind. -- FedEx employees and Dull's Tree Farm tried to spread Christmas cheer a little early Tuesday by boxing up and loading 230 Christmas trees for service men and women and their families.

Trees For Troops is an annual undertaking in which trees are sent to those serving overseas.

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FedEx employee Mike Smith volunteers to load trees every year.

"I did serve overseas, so I know what it's like to be away at Christmastime," Smith told 6News' Julie Pursley.

Dull's Tree Farm owner Tom Dull said the effort is important to him for many reasons.

“What better opportunity to, since I grow Christmas trees, to be able to share my homegrown product with those troops and their families who are apart at Christmastime?” Dull said.

The trees were donated by 38 farmers from all over the state of Indiana. The special care packages will be sent to the Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain and to the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait.

The packages had an extra surprise inside. FedEx added 1,000 greeting cards from its employees and Hoosier schoolchildren.

"We would just like to extend our gratitude for everything they do for us here in the United States," said Paula Bosler, of FedEx.

A second load of trees will stay in the U.S., with delivery planned to the Great Lakes Naval Air Station in Illinois.

FedEx pays to ship the trees to service members around the globe.