Minnesota Trucking Association To Help With Capitol Christmas Tree

The Minnesota Trucking Association today announced they’ll be playing a “key role” in helping deliver this year’s U.S. Capitaol Christmas Tree.

This year’s Capitol Christmas Tree will be cut on October 29.  It will then be transported to Bemidji State University. From there, the tree will begin its 2,000-mile trek to the U.S. Capitol.  The U.S. Forest Service chose the Minnesota Trucking Association to help get the tree to the Capitol lawn.

This year’s tree is an 80-foot white spruce.  It will be cut from the Chippewa National Forest.

A 2015 Kenworth truck, driven by Elwood Higdem of Clearbrook, MN, will deliver the tree.

“More than 30 celebrations are being planned during the tour, culminating with the official tree lighting in early December. The Minnesota Christmas Tree Growers Association is providing seventy companion trees to decorate the inside of the U.S. Capitol building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C., and they will be transported in a van truck driven by Ken Lundgren from Deer River, MN. The trees will be accompanied by 10,000 ornaments created by children and others from Minnesota communities representing the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes,'” the Minnesota Trucking Association said in a press release.

The Minnesota Trucking Association said it’s “delighted to partake in such a wonderful tradition.”

“This is a great opportunity to show people how essential the trucking industry is. Hauling this tree is just one example of what trucking does for America,” MTA President John Hausladen said. 

“This year’s tour is only possible with the help of strong community partnerships throughout Minnesota and beyond state lines,” saidBruce Ward, founder of Choose Outdoors, the nonprofit partner of the Forest Service. “We’re grateful for the time and resources the Minnesota Trucking Association is providing to make this the best tour to date.”

For related trucking news and events, visit www.mntruck.org, along with Facebook and Twitter. For tree tracking, visit www.capitolchristmastree.com.