Utah's tree in D.C. a source of pride for 2 Park City families

WASHINGTON — Two Park City families got to see their own skiing wine cork snowmen, multicolored moose and origami reindeer ornaments up close on Utah's state tree outside the White House Thursday, as President Bush and first lady Laura Bush lit the National Christmas Tree.

The Robinson and Swain families represented Park City's Neighborhood Homework Club, whose 30 members made 50 ornaments for Utah's tree at the Pageant of Peace on the Ellipse just south of the White House. The 40-foot National Christmas Tree is surrounded by trees representing each state, the five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

"Getting together doing homework has brought us to the White House," said Kristen Robinson, chairwoman of the organization's Board of Trustees and a substitute teacher for the Park City School District. "We are very proud of them."

Robinson, the "instigator" of the club, which started in 2005, learned about the opportunity to decorate the tree from Homework Club member Kasey Janes and her mother, Tricia Janes, whose Girl Scout Troop 398, also from Park City, made the ornaments for the 2006 tree. The club meets once a week after school at the Robinson home to do homework and get acquainted with neighbors in the Jeremy Ranch subdivision.

They got the final approval in August and had to ship the ornaments off by October to get them to the event organizers. The ornaments go into special plastic globes to protect them from the weather, which is a good thing as the Washington area received its first snow Wednesday, giving the moose, skiers, snowboarders and reindeer on the tree a more familiar backdrop.

Because the club is based in Park City, the ornaments just had to include skiing and snowboarding, Robinson said. The moose cutouts were inspired by the Moose on the Loose sculpture series that put the decorated animals all over the city in 2003.

Third-grader Andrew Robinson, 9, liked his cork snowman the best and was happy when he spotted his own ornament on the tree.

Samantha Swain, 12, said the origami reindeer were "tricky" to make, but she liked them and the painted picture frames they included in the ornaments as well.

Her mom, Stacy Swain, Robinson's "partner-in-crime" in organizing the Homework Club, said the group was excited to see the tree in person, despite the cold and long security line to get into the lighting ceremony. Her son, James Swain, was able to pick out his own ornaments on the tree once inside.