Continuing an 18-year tradition, a 100-foot Douglas fir tree departed from Lebanon on Oct. 26 to the Hallmark Crown Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo., world headquarters for Hallmark Greetings, Inc.
Weyerhaeuser Co. is continuing the long tradition started by Willamette Industries providing the goodwill gift as the centerpiece for a holiday charity drive to provide clothing, food and toys to 30,000 persons in need.
After the holiday, Weyerhaeuser’s gift will continue to benefit persons in need when the tree is milled into limited edition commemorative ornaments designed by Hallmark. Proceeds from the ornament sales are added to funds and gifts already collected by the Kansas City Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund.
Weyerhaeuser has chosen a local carrier partner, RAM Trucking, Inc., to provide hauling services for the extra long load. Based in Sweet Home, RAM employs 75 persons and provides flatbed hauling services throughout 48 states.
Dale Middlestadt, RAM vice president, is making the six-day trip to deliver the tree. The tree is being hauled on a specially modified “stretch” trailer to accommodate the extreme length while protecting the branches from damage.
The hand-picked tree must meet stringent requirements before being cut from Weyerhaeuser’s Snow Peak Tree Farm near Lebanon. A large crane was brought in to hold the tree during the cutting process to protect the branches during loading.
Weyerhaeuser foresters also cut hundreds of branches from other trees to be used to fill bare spots before the tree is decorated at Crown Center.
Always one of the nation’s tallest holiday trees, it will be adorned with 1,000 ornaments and more than 7,000 lights. A crowd of 5,000 is expected to attend the official lighting ceremony just after Thanksgiving.