Bliss families line up for drive-thru holiday tree lighting

Photo By David Poe | The holiday tree at Fort Bliss, Texas. Known as "Arlene's Tree," the holiday tree outside of Center Chapel One on West Bliss was planted almost 50 years ago in the memory of a beloved Army kid.  

FORT BLISS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

12.04.2020

Courtesy Story

Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office

There was no cocoa served at this year’s holiday tree lighting at Fort Bliss, Texas.

There was no cocoa, no cookies, no piling into historic buildings on west Bliss and catching up with neighbors, while kids clamor to see the big guy and tell him how good they’ve been this year.

If you were there in-person, there were no words for guests to hear. There was no choir.

The Fort Bliss Religious Services Office and the greater chaplain community teamed up with the installation’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation directorate to host the 2020 holiday tree lighting, Dec. 4.

With 2020 staples such as a live casted presentation and a drive-thru Santa, with a focus on public health, the RSO and FMWR worked with the post’s Directorate of Emergency Services to provide safe traffic flow through the Center Chapel parking lot.

Visitors were met with music from the 1st Armored Division Band, and clever baskets-on-sticks helped volunteers deliver treats to kids safely through vehicle windows as they waited for their moments with Santa Claus.

Guests in the vicinity and around the world were encouraged to tune into the installation’s Facebook page (@FortBlissGarrison), which live casted greetings and remarks, including words from Col. Stu James, the Bliss garrison commander; and Chaplain (Col.) Allen Staley, the installation senior chaplain.

The holiday tree at Fort Bliss was dedicated in 1979 by the Cain family following the death of their 17-year-old daughter Arlene, a frequent volunteer at Bliss chapels, as well as at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. The tree is maintained throughout the year by the garrison’s Directorate of Public Works.

Before the traditional lighting of the tree, Staley spoke to the virtual audience.

“This tree and this season are enduring reminders of the beauty, the hope, the sanctity, and you may say, the glory of this time of year and the divine love and presence it speaks of,” he said. “When we light this tree and when we drive by tonight and over the next few weeks, my prayer, and that of the chapel community, is that it will help to illuminate the hopes and hopefulness of this community — especially during this time of pandemic.”

As he waved to Bliss families as they rolled their vehicles through the holiday display, Dec. 4, James said he’s seen something in people that has impressed him since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic -- and with three times the carloads of socially-distanced guests for the holiday tree lighting this year, he said what matters to Team Bliss goes well beyond cocoa.

“I’ve seen this with the garrison command ... I’ve seen their adaptability to an unprecedented environment,” said James. “I’m impressed by our team’s flexibility. It’s critical that we do these things to support our families. There’s a lot of anxiety -- this hasn’t happened in 100 years. Add -- on top of that -- you have people who are deployed -- young families who are in the Army for the first time -- you have to carry on these traditions so they can have some degree of normalcy during the pandemic.”

• Date Taken: 12.04.2020
• Date Posted: 12.06.2020 23:06
• Story ID: 384329
• Location: FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: EL PASO, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, US