Elmhurst Family's Tree Will Decorate Millennium Park For Christmas
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's official Christmas tree is on its way from Elmhurst to Millennium Park, after city crews cut down a 60-foot Norway spruce donated by Deborah Orth and her family.
The city chose Orth's tree from among 79 submissions in this year's competition for the Millennium Park tree.
Orth said it's not easy to give up her tree, but "the tree's been way too big for way too long."
"I knew that Chicago was taking applications several years ago, and every year swear I'm going to do it, and haven't done it," she said. "The last two years, I heard the announcement that they'd picked the tree already. So this year I put on my calendar a week ahead of time 'Application Deadline.'"
On the day of the deadline, she got a reminder on her phone as she pulled into her driveway, so filled out her application then and there.
City workers cut down the tree Thursday morning and loaded it onto a flatbed truck.
The tree will arrive at Millennium Park on Friday.
The tree lighting ceremony will be Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.