McHenry residents watch as blue spruce is loaded onto a flatbed truck bound for Daley Plaza, where it will become Chicago’s official Christmas tree. (Stacey Wescott/Tribune)
This year’s Christmas tree for Daley Plaza — selected after a four-month-long contest — is on its way to Chicago.
Crews today cut down the 70-foot blue spruce from a lot in downtown McHenry owned by the Colomer family.With 2,678 votes, the 80- to 90-year-old tree beat out the other candidates in a city-sponsored contest that began in July. The second-place tree received about 1,300 votes. About 60 other entrants were shorter than the required 55 feet.
In keeping with contest rules, John Colomer nominated the tree with a story about how generations of children at Montini Catholic Middle School have watched the tree grow across from their school.
It’s McHenry home was scheduled for commercial development.
Tree-lighting festivities will start at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 24. Mayor Richard Daley and members of the Colomer family will flip a switch to light the tree at 5 p.m.
— Staff report
