The little Christmas tree that captivates a community
BELLE VERNON, Pa. (KDKA) - In the middle of a hayfield along Route 201 in Rostraver Township, there is a Christmas tree.
It sits all by itself, capturing the attention of those who drive by, including Amanda Brown and her daughter, Taylor Schaffer and Justin Snyder.
"It's just a simple tree, but sure, it's like the tree heard about the community," Snyder explained.
Brown added, "Even as we drive past it, everybody kind of slows down."
The tree itself isn't the biggest or the brightest; it's not even real. It's artificial.
But to the people who live in the area, it represents something much more.
"It just reminds me of my childhood and it's so heartwarming," Snyder said of the tree. Snyder, like many others, said he has been driving past it each holiday season for as long as he can remember.
"It puts a smile on your face," Brown and Schaffer added.
John Pavalonis is the man responsible for putting up the tree every year. He's been doing it for more than a decade and can't believe how popular it's become.
"It's just overwhelming to me that so many people think so much of it," Pavalonis said.
When he first put it up 13 years ago, he said he never imagined the simple decoration, lit up by an old strand of red lights, would bring such joy to the people driving by but he has a theory about why it does.
"I think everybody wants peace and happiness and our world is full of just the opposite," he said. "So, it's a time when everybody looks for something to make them happy and this is one little thing that makes people happy."
Although the "little tree's" magic and meaning aren't tangible and its lore is only locally known, for those who live in the Rostraver Township, Belle Vernon area, it continues to evoke a feeling that creates a certain connection that only happens this time of year. And more importantly, reminds the community what Christmas is truly about.
"We see that little bit of magic and it just kind of reminds you how lucky you are," Brown said. "You know, you have each other and you have… the little Christmas tree."
