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Kicker: A coniferous love story

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WORLD Radio - Kicker: A coniferous love story

This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree began as a seed of hope


The 74-foot tall, 11-ton Norway Spruce arrived at Rockefeller Center Nov. 09. Associated Press / Diane Bondareff / AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: As newlyweds back in 1967 Leslie and Earl Albert planted a Norway spruce in their yard in Massachusetts. Earl told the Today Show:

EARL ALBERT: We first used to decorate it when it was small, and then it got so big that I couldn't decorate it.

That tree just kept growing.

In 2020, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center asked if they’d donate their tree, now 74 feet tall.

What the gardener didn’t know was that Leslie had died just a few days earlier. Her son and his wife couldn’t help but wonder:

SHAWN ALBERT: And then Michael said, You think he's like an angel or something?

The tree is now standing tall at Rockefeller Center in New York. It’s scheduled to be lit December 4th…

Earl suffered a stroke a few days ago, so they aren’t sure. Regardless, Earl knows what he’ll be thinking about, or rather, who…

EARL ALBERT: Leslie, how much she enjoyed trees, you know? How much she enjoyed Christmas.

It’s The World and Everything in It.


WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.

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