Building a Christmas tree to help build hope: Local iron workers set up iconic Tree of Lights

OMAHA, Neb.—It's a Christmas partnership that's decades in the making.

Before sunrise Oct. 24, dozens of Iron Workers Local 21 members gathered at Associated Bank at 90th and Dodge to assemble the Tree of Lights.

"Iron Workers Local 21 and The Salvation Army have been in a partnership for quite some time,” said Local 21 business manager Jason Willey. “We set the Tree of Lights up [for them] every fall."

Being a labor union, Willey added that it is important for his group to make a family affair out of putting together the 75-foot-tall, LED-light, steel-framed tree.

"We always try and include all of our family members in everything that we do. It's a brotherhood, it's a family organization, and we feel it's a stronger organization when all of our family members are involved...including the kids."

Additionally, the union’s up-and-coming members got involved with putting up the tree this time around.

"Our third-and-fourth-year apprentices helped us set up the tree today. Traditionally, they have helped us disassemble the tree in January in the colder months. And so today, our third-year apprentices haven't seen this side of it, so they got a little exposure to a different side of setting up the Tree of Lights."

The tree will light up on Nov. 5 as part of the annual Tree of Lights Family Festival — which signals the start of the Tree of Lights Campaign. It is The Salvation Army of Omaha’s largest fundraising campaign of the year.  

Setting up the symbolic tree for that campaign makes it sweeter for the union and its members.

“We recognize the fact that not everybody is as fortunate as we are when it comes to the holidays and experiencing a good Thanksgiving or a good Christmas to spend with family and friends,” Willey said. “And in having this partnership with The Salvation Army, we know that we're paying a service towards the community, and especially those individuals that don't have that same opportunity as us."