The illuminating moment for an 80-foot Sitka spruce from the Tongass National Forest near Wrangell decorated with 10,000 ornaments made by students and community organizations in Alaska came down to Kenai fourth-grade student Kenai Rose Burke, who flipped the switch to light the 5,000 LED bulbs on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree during a ceremony Tuesday night on the Capitol’s west lawn.
Rose Burke, 9, a fourth-grade student from Kenai, reads her winning essay for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree during a lighting ceremony Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson watches. (Screenshot from C-SPAN broadcast)
Burke, 9, winner of a fourth-grade essay contest about the tree, read her entry while standing at a podium next to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson before lighting the tree to end the 40-minute ceremony, which also featured tribal members of the Wrangell Cooperative Association singing, dancing and blessing the tree. Alaska’s three-member congressional delegation and Gov. Mike Dunleavy were among the featured speakers.
“This amazing Christmas tree is from my home state Alaska,” Burke said, reading from her essay. “Just like Alaska it is big and beautiful. It is from Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. This tree represents all of Alaska. The state of Alaska is known for its wild forest, gorgeous mountains and beautiful glaciers.”
“People from all over our country come to see our wildlife — ferocious bears, massive moose, migrating caribou, breaching whales and soaring bald eagles. People from all over our country come to our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. When they see this majestic Christmas tree, they will be reminded of our farthest north state. Though far away, we are united in love for our country.”
Tribal members of the Wrangell Cooperative Association perform a traditional song and dance during a lighting ceremony Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. The tree was cut from the Tongass National Forest near Wrangell. (Screenshot from C-SPAN broadcast)
Portions of her essay were quoted by other speakers including Johnson, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola.
The tree, named “Spruce Wayne,” is the second selected for the U.S. Capitol in Alaska’s history, with the other coming from the Chugach National Forest in 2015. This year’s tree was harvested Oct. 19 on Zarembo Island and, after a ceremonial sendoff in Wrangell, traveled 700 miles on a barge at sea and more than 4,000 on a flatbed truck in a 40-day trip to Washington, D.C., stopping in 11 communities along the way.
The tree will be lit nightly from dusk until 11 pm Eastern Standard Time until Jan. 1.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree following a lighting ceremony Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. (Architect of the Capitol photo)
