Soldotna student will light the Capitol Christmas Tree

  • By Kelly Sullivan
  • Friday, October 30, 2015 10:42pm
  • News

A young girl from Soldotna is turning on the Capitol Christmas Tree lights this year. 

It is not just luck, but creative writing skills and an incontestable understanding of her home state that are sending Anna Kathleen DeVolld to Washington D.C. on Dec. 2. The fifth grader’s submission for the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Essay Contest was chosen out of hundreds of entries from all across Alaska.

The call was sent out for an answer to the question “Why is it special to have a Christmas tree from Alaska?” Sen. Lisa Murkowski made the final decision.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“I so enjoyed reading all of the submissions for the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Contest,” Murkowski stated in a Friday press release. “…The holiday spirit is already alive and well in the many thoughtful, imaginative, and fun answers, which is what made it so difficult for me to choose only one winner. I am so proud of these young Alaskans and wish to thank everyone who took the time to submit essays.”

DeVolld used less than 100 words to illuminate many state symbols the 75-foot Lutz Spruce, chopped from the Chugach National Forest Tuesday, will carry with it to the country’s Capitol. 

“The tree lights display the Aurora Borealis, shimmering across the heavens. Tinsel resembles the Alaskan glaciers that sparkle day and night,” DeVolld wrote. “Ornaments represent the wild Alaskan creatures that dot the forests, sky and seas.”

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will initiate the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony with a speech, after which DeVolld will ignite the towering, whirling rings of lights. The traditional ceremony will be hosted by Ryan, the United States Forest Service and Architect of the Capitol Theodore Bechtol.

Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com

More in News

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough assembly to consider ordinance to increase residential property tax exemption

If approved by voters in October, the ordinance would increase the tax exemption by $25,000.

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof closes Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in