On the heels of Thanksgiving, the holiday season shifted gears Monday afternoon as the largest living Christmas tree in the state of Texas was raised at Texas Motor Speedway. The mammoth 74-foot, 7,000-pound Norway Spruce traveled more than 1,200 miles from Dutchman Tree Farms in Manton, Mich., and will be the centerpiece for the Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter’s annual grant and tree lighting ceremony set for Tuesday, Dec. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. CT.
The tree will be officially lit at 6:20 p.m. and will be immediately followed by one of the only holiday-themed fireworks displays in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The event is free to the public and all guests will receive complimentary hot cocoa and holiday cookies as well as a voucher for a free trip through the popular Gift of Lights holiday display at Texas Motor Speedway (a $25 value with only one voucher allowed per family and valid for entry that evening only).
The tree lighting has been a speedway tradition since the facility opened in 1997. This year’s tree, the tallest in the speedway’s history, will be decorated with 10,000 LED lights, oversized ornaments and topped with a 4’x4′ foot gold star featuring the Speedway Motorsports, Inc. corporate globe.
The event on Dec. 4 also includes a special visit from Santa Claus and Encore, an ensemble group from Northwest High School that will sing holiday songs during the program.
Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter will be distributing more than $250,000 in grants to North Texas children’s organizations, including a $139,000 Founder’s Grant to the Sci-Tech Discovery Center. The grant will be used to bring the Mobile Maker Van to life. The workshop on wheels will consist of a van and 16-foot trailer outfitted with the essential tools and kits to operate on-site stream programs, which will bring opportunities to schools and children that otherwise would be unable to visit the Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco.
SCC-Texas will also distribute free bicycles and helmets to Santa Cop, Metrocrest Services and Lewisville New Hope Learning Center organizations while the JPS Foundation will receive baby carriers.
SCC-Texas Chapter has made a lasting impact on children in North Texas since its inception in 1997 by awarding more than $10.85 million in grants to area children’s organizations. The funds are raised through special events held throughout the year, with the majority of them centered on the three major race weeks at Texas Motor Speedway.
TMS PR
