Christmas at the Castle Tree

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The centerpiece of Christmas at the Castle has arrived at Sanford Children’s Hospital.

A transport crew hauling a 40-foot Christmas tree navigated the streets of Sioux Falls Tuesday, delivering the oversized Black Hills Spruce to Sanford Children’s Hospital.

“If we can bring a little bit of Christmas to our kids here, what a better place to have it symbolically outside, outside their windows and a constant reminder of this still goes on and we want you to have some joy,” Sanford Children’s Hospital’s Carol Cressman said.

The tree was donated for a second straight year by Todd & Suzy Sehr.

“We couldn’t do that without them and I hope they know how important this is to our kids, to the whole family here at Sanford Children’s,” Cressman said.

The 5,800-pound tree is installed, decorated, and then lit during next Tuesday’s Christmas at the Castle celebration.

“For them, it’s almost like it’s Christmas Day every single day all over again when that tree gets lit every morning and stays lit all day long, all night long,” Child Life Specialist Taylor Muller said.

Taylor Muller is a Child Life Specialist at the Castle.

“We also spend the day communicating with our nursing staff to see when patients have meds scheduled, who’s in isolation due to their current illness and that gives us a better idea of who can physically go out and attend the event and who we need to make accommodations for inside so they can also be a part of this wonderful day,” Muller said.

A patient will also have the honor of flipping the switch.

“We choose one Switchmaster, so we’ve chosen one patient that has been with us, in fact he just finished his cancer treatment yesterday, and he’s going to hit the switch and light the tree up,” Cressman said.

Providing patients and their families an extra ray of light during the holidays.

The Christmas at the Castle celebration is set for 6:00 p.m. next Tuesday at the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls. View the Story on KELOLAND.