Video interviews with the Church Family
Siblings Alex Church and Amber Scott of Cline Church Nursery won the supreme honor of presenting a Fraser fir Christmas tree to the White House for display in the The Blue Room by competing in the National Christmas Tree Association’s Tree and Wreath Contest in summer of 2023. This contest marked the fifteenth time a North Carolina Fraser fir Christmas tree was chosen to be the centerpiece of the Blue Room, the most times a tree from North Carolina and a particular s pecies have been featured from any state. On October 9, 2023, White House staff traveled to Fleetwood to select the perfect Christmas tree for the Blue Room. After looking at six great choices of 18-21′ Fraser fir trees, Senior Groundskeeper Dale Haney and Chief White House Usher Robert Downing chose a 19′ Fraser fir that Alex had planted while he was in high school, making the choice even more special. Friends, family, industry peers, neighbors, dignitaries, and members of the Fleetwood community gathered to watch as Alex Church harvested the 19′ Fraser fir. “I got to cut it. It was great,” Church exclaimed. “it looked bigger (cut down) than it did over there standing up!”
After cutting the tree, there was a sendoff ceremony and celebration at Cline Church Nursery where community members and supporters from all over the state came to share in the celebration of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry. The Fraser fir was then loaded onto the NCDA&CS truck displaying a colorful North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas Trees banner wrap, and transported to Washington, D.C. On November 20, 2023, Alex and Amber, along with their parents and families, traveled to Washington, D.C. to present the tree to First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. Following tradition, the tree arrived in a horse-drawn carriage. “Tears came into my eyes when we walked outside and I got to see that because it was a surreal, very special and humbling moment,” said Amber Scott. “You’ve always seen pictures of it, but to be there in person and know we had a hand in growing that tree was really special.” It was an experience that the Church family will never forget as three generations got to go to the White House for the ceremony. Amber noted that it was especially wonderful that her and her brother Alex’s children got to witness this honor in a very up-close and personal way, something that most people will never get to do and that the family will always be able to treasure.
