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Idahoans come together to light up nation's
capitol |
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December 9, 2016 |
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| Isabella
Gerard, immediately after the tree
lighting, with her parents, Josh and
Annalyn. |
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By U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador
It’s been a wonderful and memorable week in
Washington as we celebrated the holidays with
the lighting of the Idaho-grown U.S. Capitol
Christmas Tree. From the time it was felled with
a crosscut saw at the Little Ski Hill in McCall
to Tuesday’s lighting ceremony at the West Front
of the Capitol, the tree was warmly embraced by
Idahoans and Americans.
Since 1970, the U.S. Forest Service has provided
the Capitol Tree. This year’s edition was an
unmatched success, as thousands viewed the tree
on 31 stops along a 4,000-mile route from McCall
to Washington.
The Washington Post said our Engelmann spruce
was “a tree for and by the people, and it was
cheered on by small-town Americans as it made
its way to D.C.”
Idahoans put their hearts into the project.
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| Bridger
Dittmer, left, and Sam Billingsley, at a
reception hosted by Forest Service Chief
Tom Tidwell. |
When the Forest Service asked for 8,000
hand-made ornaments, they got 18,000. When a
volunteer was needed to drive the truck, Gary
Amoth of Twin Falls took four weeks off work.
When the tree stopped in Weiser, school let out
so every student could sign the banner enclosing
the tree on its 105-foot tractor-trailer. When
students were asked to submit entries on the
theme of “An Idaho Mountain Gem,” more than 200
answered the call.
The winner was Isabella Gerard, a fifth-grader
at St. Mary’s Parish School in Boise. Isabella
brought smiles to countless faces as she recited
her poem, “Pristine Idaho Mountains,” at several
events this week, including the tree lighting.
The lighting ceremony was held at dusk. A steady
rain prompted House Speaker Paul Ryan to note
that it would be “snowing sideways” in Idaho or
Wisconsin. For my part, I welcomed the many
Idahoans in the crowd proud of the Gem State’s
contribution and wished everyone a Merry
Christmas.
Then it was time for Isabella to flip the
switch, igniting thousands of lights and
bringing a hearty roar. It was a beautiful
sight.
So many Idahoans contributed to this uplifting
project, including employees of the Payette
National Forest, the city of McCall and 13 other
cities that hosted the tree, dozens of sponsors,
and hundreds of volunteers.
Among those are two young men from McCall, Sam
Billingsley and Bridger Dittmer, who helped
craft 400 ornaments reproducing Idaho fossils,
petroglyphs, mining cabins and a cattle brand.
Sam and Bridger, seniors at McCall-Donnelly High
School, made the trip to Washington, walking 30
miles in two days to see the sights. They
particularly enjoyed the Smithsonian’s gem and
mineral collections.
Sam perfectly summed up the feelings of all who
joined together in this great effort, saying,
“It’s been an amazing experience to get involved
in something bigger than ourselves.”
What a wonderful sentiment to hear as we
celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. Let
us all give thanks for our many blessings as
families and friends gather for the holidays.
Merry Christmas to all! |
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