Each ornament and light on
the two Christmas trees that
will mark the holiday season
at Tempe History Museum, 805 E.
Southern Ave., this month will not
only represent a story in someone’s
life—it will help preserve the stories
of others.
For the 13th holiday season,
Tempe Historical Society’s Larry
Campbell Tree of Lights project,
named in honor of the Historical
Society president who started it, is
giving Tempeans an opportunity
to remember loved ones or honor
veterans or other special people in
their lives by having their names
placed on decorations for the
museum’s Christmas trees.
They can do so by making
donations of $10 each for a name
on a take-home ornament, $5 for
a tree light with an attached tag
naming the honoree. Not only will
each of those so honored represent a
special story to those remembering
them, the donations made for the
decorations will be used to help
preserve, through the museum’s Oral
History Project, the recorded stories
of longtime Tempeans who have had
roles in the city’s history.
Again this year, the project will
include a second tree solely for
honoring Tempe veterans. Proceeds
from donations for the veterans’
Christmas tree will benefit the
Veterans History Project which is
collecting stories of Tempe men and
women who have served in wartime.
The Veterans History Project and
Tempe Friends of the Library join
the Historical Society in the project
and will be host organizations for a
3-5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7 reception in
the museum lobby and Community
Room to unveil the two Christmas
trees.
Invitations to that event have
been offered to those being honored
and to representatives of those being
remembered.
Orders and donations are
being accepted now by the Tempe
Historical Society.
Forms are available at the
museum.
— By Peggy Bryant
