DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — For 30 years, Delray Beach's famous 100-foot Christmas free has been a pivotal part of the city's success.
The over-the-top attraction brings people in from all over the state and even the globe. The volunteers who help put it together know that building a 10-story structure is no easy task—fluffing the branches, testing the lights and so much more.
For 30 years, those working behind the scenes have had a lot on their annual to-do lists.
"There was a newspaper article about, you know, helping build the tree," Chary Lynn said. "I've been doing it ever since."
Their job duties have changed over the years. These days, most of the tasks, keep them on solid ground.
"I was a climber," Mary "Mike" Williams said. "They would pass it up to me. I would be up 10, 20 feet."
Williams has been volunteering almost from the very beginning.
"This is my 19th year," she said.
The years are also adding up for Jeff Maul, who focuses primarily on the vintage toy train display set up inside the giant tree.
"I had trains as a kid, so I kind of gravitated to it," he said. "Some of the trains that we have are older than I am."
The many people who give their time say the payback for their sweat equity is to see how much joy it brings.
