A heartwarming story out of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, is going viral after one local man helped “save Christmas” by teaming up with a nearby Christmas tree farm. When he learned the city’s annual holiday tree wouldn’t arrive in time for the beloved community lighting ceremony, he made sure a new one was ordered and delivered just in time through a generous donation.
Dearborn Heights hosts a cherished Christmas tree-lighting celebration each year at City Hall, drawing families for photos, hot cocoa, and a festive kickoff to the season — but this year, the tradition was nearly canceled. According to a Dec. 8 report from WXYZ 7, an ABC affiliate, the ordered artificial tree ran into major supply-chain and shipping delays.
According to newly elected Mayor Mo Baydoun, though it was on its way from China, the lower-cost tree chosen by the city’s previous administration wasn’t going to arrive in time for the event.
The tree was finally scheduled to clear customs and arrive Dec. 11, just one day before the tree lighting ceremony. According to local reports, these massive trees arrive in dozens of boxed sections on pallets and require a multi-day process: unloading, building the steel frame, attaching and fluffing hundreds of branch pieces, stringing thousands of lights, and testing every component. Under normal circumstances, it takes three to four full days to assemble a tree of that scale. Trying to do it all in a single day meant it wouldn’t be finished in time for the event.
Canceling, however, was never on the table. According to WXYZ, city officials began contacting nearby tree farms in search of a real-tree alternative. Their search led them to Huff’s Tree Farm in Highland, Michigan, where they found a towering 40-foot Norway spruce described by part owner Nicholas Huff to WXYZ as “one of the prettiest ones we have at the farm.”
The total cost — covering sourcing, transport, and planting — came to roughly $10,000. That’s when local businessman Sam Hussein, a local Muslim American business owner, stepped up with a generous donation, according to the Associated Press. Aside from a portion covered by Nicholas Huff, Hussein covered the entire bill to ensure the city’s tradition didn’t miss a beat.
Hussein, who grew up in the community, said he didn’t think twice.
“I thought it was the right thing to do given the circumstances,” he told WXYZ. “They had a tree-lighting ceremony set up for this Friday and they were really on a time crunch and this is our way of giving back.”
Huff said he was proud to help the community during the holiday season.
“I feel a good sense of pride being able to help the community, help our tree farm and kind of bring people together during this special time of year,” he said.
The massive spruce is now in place and ready for the Dec. 12 lighting — complete with ornaments and lights.
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