MUSC Launches Angel Tree Giving Season
MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital kicked off its holiday giving with an Angel Tree lighting ceremony attended by four children.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Philanthropy
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MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital held an Angel Tree lighting ceremony to start the holiday giving season. Four children, including three awaiting heart transplants and one who recently received a donated heart, took part in the event.
Why it matters
The Angel Tree program helps families facing financial challenges provide holiday gifts for their children. Gifts are distributed through the Salvation Army's Greater Charleston Area program.
MUSC has taken part in the Angel Tree program for 23 years and received 500 tags this season, with 400 online adoptions recorded. The source does not report how many of the 500 tags will ultimately be filled.
The players
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an international Christian charitable organization that runs the Angel Tree program in the Greater Charleston Area.
MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital
MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital within the Medical University of South Carolina system in downtown Charleston.
The details
Participants take Angel Tree tags, buy gifts for the listed children, and drop them off for distribution to families. MUSC care team members and community members buy gifts individually and in groups, with teams forming across departments.
Timeline
Gifts are due the week before Christmas.
Dec. 8: MUSC Angel Tree Parade begins at noon around its downtown Charleston campus.
Philanthropy Context
MUSC's 23-year participation in the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program reflects how hospitals have built long-running holiday giving partnerships with national charities. The program's tag-based model connects individual donors directly to named children on family wish lists.
Community members can adopt an Angel Tree tag or buy gifts individually or with a team, then drop them off at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, Ashley River Tower, or University Medical Center. Gifts may also be brought the morning of the Dec. 8 parade to the Medical District Greenway.
The takeaway
Donating through a tag-based program like Angel Tree lets individuals give directly to a named child, which can make holiday giving more personal for families who need help.
What happens next
The MUSC Angel Tree Parade begins at noon on Dec. 8 around the downtown Charleston campus, and gifts are due the week before Christmas.
Further reading
Explore more Charleston philanthropy coverage to see how local giving programs support families during the holidays.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times and Democrat.
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