From stand to star,
Lights of Life tree proves to be
community-wide labor of love
PRESQUE ISLE — It’s said it “takes a village to raise a child,” and organizers with this year’s Lights of Life project have found it also takes a town to best trim a 25-foot tree.
Photo courtesy of TAMC
PRESENTING THE CUSTOM-MADE, illuminating tree topper stars they designed and fabricated to representatives of the Lights of Life project are NMCC welding and metal fabrication students and their instructor, Dennis Albert. Pictured are, from left: Joe York, lab assistant, of Wade; Sam Boutot of Fort Kent, Keith Michaud of Mapleton, Jason Gallagher of Limestone, Albert, and Lights of Life project representatives Gail Clukey of Clukey’s Auto Supply and Jason Parent of TAMC.
Not only is the annual effort to raise funds to support TAMC’s Aroostook Cancer Care off to the most successful start since its inception six years ago, but getting the tall tree to stand and shine at Clukey’s Auto Supply on Main Street in Presque Isle has been a true community-wide effort.
From the stand that holds the tree firm and star that adorns the top branch, to the boom truck that keeps it steady in the strongest of winds and the bucket truck that lifted the volunteers who strung the more than 300 feet of lights, trimming the holiday tree is the result of many generous area craftsmen.
“It has just been amazing how generous people have been — not only with donations to Lights of Life, but with our efforts to get the tree up and ready to shine for the holiday season,” said Gail Clukey of Clukey’s Auto Supply, which has partnered with TAMC on the project. “I cannot thank enough all of the individuals and organizations who have gone above and beyond to make sure we have a beautiful tree lit up to honor cancer survivors from throughout the area and memorialize others, like my husband, Tom, who valiantly fought a battle with cancer, but succumbed to the dreadful disease.”
The 25-foot balsam fir tree, which is provided for Lights of Life each year by Triple E Christmas Tree of Presque Isle, was in need of a new stand. While visiting Clukey’s Presque Isle store recently, a local business owner learned of the dilemma and quickly stepped up by donating his services and materials to construct a sturdy stand. Another customer who heard Clukey staff discussing how they might get the tree upright stepped up not only to volunteer his services, but his equipment, as well. The tree was raised and will be held sturdy the entire time it is up by his boom truck. He and his son returned with their bucket truck to help volunteers place the lights on the tree. Both generous supporters have declined public recognition for their deeds, wanting only to honor Tom’s memory in their own way.
The bucket truck was also used to raise a new, custom-made star that sits atop this year’s tree. Several students in Northern Maine Community College instructor Dennis Albert’s welding and metal fabrication program volunteered to build a two-foot star, which illuminates from the inside and prominently features the wording “In Memory of Tom Clukey” in the center. Lettering was generously provided by The Sign Place in Presque Isle.
“A lot of people knew and highly respected Tom Clukey. We thought this was a great way to honor his memory, support a great community cause, and engage the students in a hands-on project that not only brings home what we are teaching them in the classroom and lab, but will be useful for, and visible in, the community,” said Albert.
Six students took on the project, building not only the one large star for the Presque Isle tree, but two similar, scaled-down illuminating stars for the smaller Lights of Life trees located at the Clukey’s Auto Supply Stores in Caribou and Houlton.
Joe York of Wade, Sam Boutot of Fort Kent, Keith Michaud of Mapleton, Jason Gallagher of Limestone, Trent Lagassie of Presque Isle and Josh Pike of Caribou spent over 10 hours designing, laying out and fabricating the special stars that are made of 26 gauge aluminum.
“It’s interesting to have the challenge of engineering and building something,” said Boutot. “It’s nice to be able to show our work to people in the community and to build something that will be put to such good use to support such a great cause.”
“I will be able to look at the top of the tree and say ‘I was involved with that,’” said Gallagher. “It really brought in what we have been learning in several classes like drafting, blueprint reading and sheet metal. Being able to draw the stars and bring each to life in a three-dimensional product was exciting.”
This is not the first time students in one of Albert’s classes constructed a purposeful star for the Star City’s Main Street. In 2009, the year of Presque Isle’s sesquicentennial, welding and metal fabrication students built a six-foot tall, three-dimensional star that was decorated with lights and raised in the downtown to ring in the New Year for two consecutive years to usher in and close out the celebration.
Through Lights of Life, individuals, businesses and organizations can purchase lights to remember or honor survivors, family and friends of survivors, caregivers and others. Lights may be purchased any time through Dec. 31 in person at Clukey’s Auto Supply locations in Presque Isle, Caribou or Houlton or online at www.tamc.org. Names of those being honored will be displayed at Clukey’s Auto Supply and on the TAMC website.
Lights are being sold for: white, $10; red, $25; yellow, $50; green, $75; blue, $100; and orange, $150. This year gifts are designated to help create a fund to provide support to patients in need, offering assistance for expenses such as travel for those undergoing treatment for the devastating disease.
For more information on the Lights of Life project or to purchase a light, visit www.tamc.org or contact the TAMC communication and development office at (207) 768-4044.
