Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Used for House, Picture Book
RSSBy Rocco Staino Every wo Working side-by-side with volunteers from Habitat for Humanity's Newburgh affiliate, Gibson and fellow staffers took up hammers and nails to help build the frame of a house on East Parmenter Street, which will be partly made out of lumber from the 2010 Christmas tree, a 75-foot tall Norway Spruce from nearby Mahopac, NY. The tree was milled into lumber that's expected to arrive later this month and will be used in the interior of a three-bedroom house, part of a new 24-home construction project by Habitat. Who's the lucky family? Nathaniel and Stacey Jones and their three children were selected by Habitat to purchase the house with a zero percent interest loan. The average construction cost for a home is $150,000. Each year since 2007, Tishman Speyer, the owner and operator of Rockefeller Center, donates the lumber from the Christmas tree to Habitat to help build affordable homes. In previous years, Habitat has used lumber from the tree for houses in Pascagoula, MS; New York City; and Stamford, CT. The volunteers also were joined by Pat Parker, a retired librarian from the Valley Cottage Public Library. "One of the reasons I retired is so I could volunteer for Habitat," says Parker. Founded in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 400,000 houses worldwide, providing shelter for more than two million people. So what's the Random House connection? The publisher plans a September 27 release of The Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree, a 48-page picture book written by David Rubel in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, with illustrations by Jim LaMarche. Set in the Depression era, it's a fictionalized account of an eight-year-old boy's wish to live in a decent home and how that wish comes true, thanks to the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. "The tre The book will hopefully help the nonprofit organization raise awareness about the critical need for affordable housing across the country, says Cathy Collins, executive director of Part of the 2010 Christmas tree that was unsuitable for lumber was pulped and made into paper on April 15 at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF)—and will be used for 500 limited-edition copies of Rubel's picture book. Pulp from the tree was mixed with the college's regular pulp supply to also produce commemorative bookplates and promotional materials, says Raymond Appleby, who manages pilot plant operations for ESF. "In retrospect, coming up with the idea to print a special edition of the book on paper milled from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was the easy part," says Rubel. "The commercial paper houses we approached all agreed that the project was a great idea, but none of them were able to take it on. One phone call to SUNY-ESF, and Habitat knew we had found the partner we'd been looking for." The paper science and engineering programs at ESF date back to 1920. The college offered the first academic courses in pulp and paper in the United States and was the first educational institution to have an on-campus pilot paper plant. Photos:Habitat for Humanity This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.
nder what happens to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree after the holidays? More than 40 members of Random House Children's Book division, including its president and publisher, Chip Gibson (left), traveled 70 miles north of New York City last Tuesday to find out.
e is an icon of Christmas, and I tried to create the happiness both the holiday tree and a home can give," says Rubel (left), who was among the many helping hands Tuesday building the house's foundation. "I also tried to channel some of the film 'It's a Wonderful Life' into the story."
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh.
