The U.S. Marine Corps Band plays during the lighting ceremony.

The U.S. Marine Corps Band plays during the lighting ceremony.

After completing a journey of more than 5,000 miles on the back of a Mack Pinnacle model, the 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree was lit in an official ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 3.

The tree traveled from the Colville National Forest in the state of Washington to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, making stops in communities across the country.

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) led the ceremony and flipped the switch with the help of 6-year old Giovanni Gayner to light this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree.

The 88-foot Engelmann Spruce was hand-selected from a pool of candidate trees. The 80-year-old tree was delivered to the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 25 and was lowered by crane into place on the west lawn.

A Mack Pinnacle model delivers the 88-foot Christmas tree to the U.S. Capitol on a custom-built oversized trailer.

A Mack Pinnacle model delivers the 88-foot Christmas tree to the U.S. Capitol on a custom-built oversized trailer. 

As a sponsor of the tree tour, Mack provided two Pinnacle models for the cross-country tour. Both were decaled with the 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree tour logo and patriotic images of a bulldog pulling a Christmas tree toward the U.S. Capitol.

Mack has provided trucks for the Capitol Christmas Tree tour several times, most recently in 2011 and 2012.

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