Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives from Easton, Connecticut

This morning, amidst the rain and wind, a 76-foot Norway Spruce arrived at Rockefeller Center to take its place as the 2009-2010 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. This year's tree hails from Easton, Connecticut, weighs nearly ten tons, and was donated by Maria Corti. She has a lovely backstory of how her tree made its way to New York City and it involves her horse. She purchased the land where the tree stood approximately a year ago with the intention of putting her 20-year-old horse on it. Her horse fell ill and she had to put him down, without him ever having been on her land. After his passing, she thought it would be a good idea, as part of her healing process, to donate the tree. Also, her grandmother used to take her to Rockefeller Rink as a little girl to marvel at the tree so she felt a special connection to the rink.

About a year ago, Ms. Corti contacted Rockefeller Center to let them know that she may have the perfect tree for 2009. To her surprise, she was contacted a few months later -- it turns out that the Rockefeller Tree scout on one of his helicopter trips in search of the 2009 tree was already aware of her tree, and it was on his short list of potential finalists. The rest is history, so maybe it was meant to be that Ms. Corti's tree would find its way to the world's most famous ice skating rink. (Photos: Workers unload tree from truck, and tree takes its position behind statue of Prometheus.)

The tree-lighting ceremony is scheduled for December 2, 2009 and the tree will come down on January 8, 2010.

Comments

[John LaScala]

i have a tree to donate for next years christmas tree lighting. Its about 70'-80' tall

[Evelyn Steen]

I have a suggestion for the 2010 christmas tree.
Where to find one. I have been golfing at Bel Aire golf course in Wall NJ. There are many free standing perfect pine trees that I Invision at Rockafeller Center NJ. You might want to check them out.
Evelyn Steen