Capitol Christmas tree makes pit stop in Oak Brook

An 81-foot tall Christmas tree bound for the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol spent Tuesday evening being ogled by customers of National Van Lines.

The Broadview-based company was contracted to haul the 140-year-old subalpine fir from Montana to Washington, D.C. But one of its many pit stops is a customer appreciation bash the company throws each year. This year, the soiree took place in Oak Brook where scores of families gathered to gaze at the massive holiday conifer.

Completely enclosed and protected during its 23-day journey, the trunk is fitted with a rubber bladder filled with water to feed the tree as it makes its way across the country. This is the third time in the past four years National Van Lines has hauled the Capitol Christmas tree.

"We provide the drivers and tractor as well as another tractor-trailer that's hauling 50 other smaller trees for the offices and all the ornaments," said Roger Harl, National's vice president of operations.

After the tree was cut down Nov. 1, it made several stops at schools across Montana to pick up the ornaments that were made by schoolchildren and will adorn the trees at the nation's Capitol building.

The tree makes the cross-country journey accompanied by a special security detail from the U.S. Forestry Service as well, Harl said. In previous years, the Capitol Christmas trees have been culled from Washington, New Mexico and Vermont. Next year, the trees are expected to come from an Arizona forest.

"It's on cradles that hold it up above the trailer and suspends the trunk so the branches don't get crushed," said Jorja Coulter, National's vice president of marketing.

The tree will spend the day Wednesday at the company's Broadview campus and hit the road again Thursday before reaching its destination Nov. 24.