Viral post helps 'sad' tree get Christmas makeover

NEWPORT — For some area residents, Newport's town Christmas tree was more Scrooge than Saint Nick.

Instead of twinkling lights woven throughout the majestic spruce, Fritz Turner said the straight-up-and-down lights made a mockery of things Santa.

"This tree is just sad," Turner wrote on a GoFundMe seeking donations to update the tree's decorations and redo the lights. "Even Charlie Brown's Christmas tree look better than this sad spruce."

After seeing the tree, Turner called on the community to come together for a redo. The Newport resident also contacted the public utility district and fire department to see what they could do to help out.

In the now-viral GoFundMe post, Turner made clear the tree's decorations were a definite lump of proverbial coal in terms of holiday spirit.

"When they put these lights up, the value of our homes dropped," Turner said on the crowdfunding website. "Stores lost business. People driving by were laughing. This is a disgrace to the good name of not only Newport but Saint Nic himself and I won't stand for it. We can't do Santa like this."

He quickly gained support from both and from the community garnering more than $2,700 of a revised $5,000 goal to ensure enough lights could be purchased and to organize a community lighting event.

While time constraints and supply chain problems may hinder new lights and decorations for this Christmas, Turner said volunteers and community business rallied together to rehang the lights and host a Christmas celebration. In addition, students at the town's elementary, junior and high schools handcrafted decorations.

A community celebration will be held at 3 p.m. today at Centennial Plaza.

Turner said he was surprised and inspired by the community's response to the fundraising request.

"I NEVER thought this would get this big," he wrote in an update to his original post. "This was such a random thing that blew up and I am so inspired."

He called on the community to get involved, not just through donations but by pitching in to help out — this year and in the future.

"[B]between businesses that have donated and this fundraiser we are going to be able to go all out next year!!!," he posted in an update. "But we need your help. It's not only money. It's actual hands and volunteers needed for events."

The tree, which is owned by the museum, is decorated by the PUD with the power bill paid for by the Newport Chamber. After disappointment over the tree's appearance surfaced, chamber officials said they began working toward a solution with city, plaza and PUD officials and asked for volunteers to join an events committee for a lighting ceremony as well as future events.

While a fixture of Christmases past, a lack of volunteers caused the lighting ceremony to fall by the wayside, chamber officials said in a post.

"Many calls for volunteers over the years have gone unanswered," they said in response to a comment to the post. "Social media, e-blasts, and in the newspaper. The lighting ceremony has been gone for years and nobody has come forward to help plan one. Apparently all we needed was a bad tree to go viral to get some attention."

However, there is a positive, chamber officials said. Before the tree went viral, its event committee had one member. Now there are more than a dozen in the group, with 17 people messaging the chamber volunteering to help with Christmas and future events.

"We are beyond excited to organize some fun events for Newport," they said in the post. "Keep the messages coming in! We can't get enough volunteers for this cause!"