Today’s Christmas Tree Ship
Chicago’s Christmas Ship, The tradition continues!
In June of 2006 in a USCG ceremony the “New Mac”, USCGC MACKINAW (WLBB-30) was commissioned and has carried on as “Chicago’s Christmas Ship” starting in 2006 in conjunction with its aids to navigation tasking prior to the icebreaking season.
Last year as MACKINAW carried over 1,500 trees on the fantail from Cheboygan Michigan to Chicago, as the crew went about their training and Aids to Navigation mission. Following a stop at St. Ignace, the ship transited the Straights of Mackinac and traveled to the southern most reaches of Lake Michigan, replacing navigational buoys with winter marks and servicing the associated equipment. The work is hard and was done in bitterly cold and difficult conditions. Yet when that was finished the crew members, laughing and singing Christmas songs, moved the trees to the buoy deck for easier unloading.
The official welcoming at Navy Pier included a brass band and TV cameras. CYA volunteers led by Commodore Lloyd Karzen were assisted by the crew in decorating the ship. Throughout the day several school groups visited the ship and had special educational presentations. The following morning, Saturday , started with the annual Shipmaters’ Memorial ceremony, followed by the Christmas tree presentation ceremony where three representative families were formally presented with trees. At the same time trees were being unloaded from the ship by youth group volunteers and loaded onto trucks to be delivered by various service organizations, bringing the spirit of the season in the form of Christmas trees to over 1,500 disadvantaged families .
Posted on Oct 28th 2008 by admin. .