Alaskans still making ornaments to hang on the Capitol Christmas Tree now have a little more time. The original submission deadline of Sept. 16 has been extended two weeks to Sept. 30.
"Sept. 16 ... that was the deadline we were given about a year ago when we started planning this," said Claire Froelich, interpretation and education specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in Wrangell. "But because we are now working with Alaska Airlines, our shipping is going to take less time, so now we have until the end of the month."
The original plan had been to use the U.S. mail.
The Forest Service announced in July that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree would come from the Wrangell Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest, only the second time an Alaska tree will light up the official spot on the Capitol lawn. The agency has called on Alaskans to create 10,000 ornaments for the big tree and multiple smaller trees that will be on display around Washington, D.C.
"I've been prepping to make sure we have all the materials and stuff for this last push of ornaments," Froelich said, adding that she is focusing more on having recycled items and other materials available for people to paint and decorate.
She estimated that at least 2,200 ornaments have been made in Wrangell. According to a Sept. 6 post on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Facebook page, the agency had received almost 3,300 ornaments from across the state, though only half of Wrangell's contributions were included in that evolving number.
Various workshops and crafting events were held at various locations over the summer around Wrangell to make the decorations, including one held in July during Bearfest, and most recently during Grandparents Day at the elementary school on Sept. 6.
"There's a bunch of places around the community that I also need to pick up ornaments as well," Froelich said. "We definitely got a good amount."
She has also allied with tech club students in the Teaching Through Technology T3 Alliance throughout Alaska. "They have been producing extremely beautiful, intricately designed ornaments with representation of every city, county, village and tribe in Alaska," she said. "They're doing that with laser-cutting, 3D printing and beautiful designs ... with the intention of having representation of all over Alaska."
Froelich said multiple types of ornaments have been made, using all kinds of materials, including repurposed buoys, fishing line and seashell mosaics. "We have an assortment of tree cookies, wood cutouts, salmon and bears," she said.
There also are plenty of bear-shaped decorations to choose from. "We have big bears and then we have bears standing up," she said, adding that she was about to get some ornaments in the shape of Smokey Bear, the Forest Service's famous mascot.
Once the ornaments are all collected, there will still be plenty for Froelich to do, as one of the main organizers of the project. Her tasks will include sorting, weatherproofing and providing tree hooks for them, both for Wrangell ornaments and when she travels to Anchorage later this month.
She'll accompany the Capitol Christmas Tree, which has already been selected by the Architect of the Capitol. The tree will go on tour across the country after it's cut down in late October. The trip from Alaska to Washington should take approximately two weeks, depending on logistics.
For details on how to participate in the ornament making, go to the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree website at uscapitolchristmastree.com/make-an-ornament/.
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