A young girl from Soldotna is turning on the Capitol Christmas Tree lights this year. 

It is not just luck, but creative writing skills and an incontestable understanding of her home state that are sending Anna Kathleen DeVolld to Washington D.C. on Dec. 2. The fifth grader’s submission for the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Essay Contest was chosen out of hundreds of entries from all across Alaska.

The call was sent out for an answer to the question “Why is it special to have a Christmas tree from Alaska?” Sen. Lisa Murkowski made the final decision.

“I so enjoyed reading all of the submissions for the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Contest,” Murkowski stated in a Friday press release. “…The holiday spirit is already alive and well in the many thoughtful, imaginative, and fun answers, which is what made it so difficult for me to choose only one winner. I am so proud of these young Alaskans and wish to thank everyone who took the time to submit essays.”

DeVolld used less than 100 words to illuminate many state symbols the 75-foot Lutz Spruce, chopped from the Chugach National Forest Tuesday, will carry with it to the country’s Capitol. 

“The tree lights display the Aurora Borealis, shimmering across the heavens. Tinsel resembles the Alaskan glaciers that sparkle day and night,” DeVolld wrote. “Ornaments represent the wild Alaskan creatures that dot the forests, sky and seas.”

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will initiate the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony with a speech, after which DeVolld will ignite the towering, whirling rings of lights. The traditional ceremony will be hosted by Ryan, the United States Forest Service and Architect of the Capitol Theodore Bechtol.

Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com