Mount Olive, N.J. Spruce Becomes Iconic NYC Christmas Tree

An 80-foot Norway Spruce from Mount Olive, N.J. that survived Hurricane Sandy was donated by Joe Balku to light up on Wednesday night as Rockafeller Center’s iconic Christmas tree. The lighting, which occurred at 9 p.m. ET attracted over 200 Mount Olive residents as they supported their now-famous tree with pride.

The spruce endured the heavy winds of Hurricane Sandy as other surrounding trees fell. Balku also lost power during the storm.

The tree stood in Balku’s yard for years, measuring about 22-feet tall when he bought the house back in 1973. The Christmas tree now measures 50-feet in diameter and weighs 10 tons. Once in its new home in Rockafeller Center, it was covered with 30,000 lights and topped with a Swarokvski star.