ROANOKE, Va. – It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in downtown Roanoke, as city crews cut down the official tree in Salem on Monday morning and transported it to its new home near the Market Building.
The 32-foot-tall white spruce had been a fixture in Mike Fisher's yard for 30 years.
"It was probably 2 feet tall when I planted it," Fisher said.
On Monday, the tree made its way to a much bigger stage.
"We’re tickled half to death to see it go there," Fisher said.
A lot of legwork goes into making Roanoke’s official Christmas tree ready to shine. Crews spent hours hooking it up to a crane, cutting it and securing it to a trailer, before a police escort into downtown.
"Always wanted to decorate it but it just got too big. Then I couldn't decorate it. So now our family is finally going to be able to see it decorated and we're just really excited about it," Fisher said.
Donating a tree has become an annual tradition. In fact, Fisher decided to offer up his evergreen after seeing the 10 News story about a homeowner who donated her tree last year.
"They’ll call us and say, 'Hey, we might have a Christmas tree for you,'” Roanoke landscape management coordinator Marilyn Arbogast said.
Arbogast, who has led the tree search for 40 years, said this year’s is one of the best.
"When we saw it, we knew it was definitely a top candidate," Arbogast said.
Her vision is one step closer to reality, after crews unloaded the tree downtown, sawed the trunk to the perfect size and set it straight in its stand.
"As I was driving down here following it today, it was, like, 'OK, this really is probably the last time I’ll do this,' but it's been fun. I've enjoyed it and, now, if I do get to retire, hopefully I’ll look at it from the other side next year," Arbogast said.
You can watch the iconic tree lighting ceremony on 10 News this Friday, Dec. 7, starting at 5 p.m. We'll flip the switch illuminating the Roanoke tree at 6:20 p.m.