After a much anticipated wait, Chicago's Christmas Tree is finally picked!
The winning tree is more than 75-years-old, and it belongs to John Colomer from McHenry, Illinois. "A tree that has had such a long life and whose beauty has long been admired by so many in the community deserves to be recognized," said Colomer when he submitted his entry for the contest organized by the Mayor's Office of Special Events, and the Chicago Sun-Times.
More than 70 entries were submitted for consideration, and the Colomer family tree was picked in early October as one of three finalists. For the first time, Chicagoans were allowed to vote online for their favorite, and the Colomer tree overwhelmingly won with more than half of the 5,182 votes cast in the online poll, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Colomer says the 70-foot blue spruce sits in the oldest part of the city of McHenry right across the street from Montini Catholic High School. "Many classes have started at the school, graduated and moved on from the school but the tree still stands tall in its place," said Colomer.
This is the second year the city of Chicago will decorate Daley Plaza with a single tree. The official Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Nov. 24.
