Husband-and-Wife Driver Team Deliver U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
Thanks to two professional truck drivers, “The People’s Tree,” a 78-foot tall Red Spruce tree who was affectionately nicknamed “Ruby,” is now on display on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for all Americans to enjoy this holiday season.
The drivers behind the wheel of the truck transporting the 2022 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree were Harold “Ed” Kingdon Jr. and Deborah “Deb” Kingdon, a husband-and-wife driver team who have been driving for the North Carolina-based carrier Hardy Brothers Trucking for four years now.
Ed and Deb embarked on the special journey last month — transporting Ruby from the Pisgah National Forest in their homestate of North Carolina to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., making stops in over a dozen communities along the route to give community members a chance to see the tree and help spread holiday cheer.
In an opinion piece in the Asheville-Citizens Times, Ed and Deb shared about the importance of this journey to them. “As a husband-and-wife truck driver team, we are used to transporting important goods, but this delivery is extra special for us,” the pair wrote. “Having the privilege of being selected by our company to transport Ruby and taking part in this special annual tradition has been such an amazing experience for us, and we’re grateful to be part of an industry that makes opportunities like this possible.” You can read their full piece here.
Upon their arrival in Washington, D.C. to bring Ruby to her final stop, Ed and Deb spoke with Fox 5 DC and DC’s Channel 9 about their journey. You can watch the clips here and here.
Ed and Deb also spoke with Overdrive about the opportunity to make this special delivery. You can read the story here.
