Whitehouse Christmas Tree: 2004

White House Selects Blue Room Christmas Tree

ST. LOUIS - (October 20, 2004) -- A beautiful 18 1/2 foot tall Noble Fir tree from Washington will be the Official White House Christmas Tree this season.

The Blue Room Christmas Tree will be officially presented to First Lady Laura Bush by John and Carol Tillman, owners of Northwest Plantations Christmas Tree farm in Rochester, WA. The Tillmans earned this honor by winning the National Christmas Tree Association's (NCTA) national Christmas Tree contest and becoming Grand Champions.

The Blue Room Christmas Tree was hand picked by White House Chief Usher Gary Walters, Superintendent of Grounds Irv Williams, and Grounds Foreman Mike Lawn on October 19. The tree will be cut in late November and sent to Washington, D.C. The White House staff also selected beautiful Real Christmas Trees for Camp David and the Oval Office during their trip to the Tillman's farm.

Mr. Tillman won the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association (PNCTA) Christmas Tree contest in Portland, Oregon in September, 2003. That regional victory qualified him for the chance to compete at the national level in Lake Harmony, Penn. August 12-13, 2004.

"I was happy with the Noble Fir they selected," said John. "I'm proud to put a great tree into both the Oval Office and the Blue Room. It's a beautiful tree with excellent foliage."

The Tillmans have two children, Tyler age 13 and Rachel age 11. They were just as excited as their parents to welcome the White House Chief Usher and very proud their parents will be presenting the Christmas Tree to the First Lady. The kids will be in attendance at the presentation ceremony in November.

"The holidays are about family and tradition and a traditional Christmas begins with a Real Tree," says John. "That's why it is such a great honor to have this opportunity for a small tree farmer to represent the Real Christmas Tree industry and share great Real Tree experiences with the First Family and the people of the United States of America."

John is somewhat modest when he refers to himself as a small Christmas Tree grower. While there are some Christmas Tree farms that produce and harvest as many as a million trees per year, over the last 30 years John has built his one-time small farm into a full-time business. John and Carol are now growing about 200,000 trees on a 6-7 year rotation with annual sales of about 20,000 trees.

An active member of both NCTA and the PNWCTA, John credits both associations with providing him with many learning opportunities that have contributed to his success. He now gives back to the industry by sharing what he's learned through numerous seminars, articles, and even a video that teaches Christmas Tree shearing techniques.

The presentation to the White House is currently scheduled to take place on November 29, 2004. The tree will be set up in the Blue Room later that day, where it will be decorated by the White House Floral Department staff and volunteers. Trucking is being provided by Interstate Distributor Co.

Members of the National Christmas Tree Association have presented the official White House Christmas Tree for display in the Blue Room since 1966. For Real Christmas Tree selection and care tips, or to find a Christmas Tree farm or lot in your area, visit www.realchristmastrees.org.

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