'Like a Cinderella story': White House Christmas tree cut from Avery County farm

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By Dave Faherty

NEWLAND, N.C. — There are just five weeks left until Christmas, and the White House is getting ready for the holiday.

[ [IMAGES: White House Christmas tree cut from Avery County farm] ]

This year, the National Christmas Tree Association selected an Avery County Christmas tree grower for the honor.

“It’s a boost for Avery County. It really is,” said the tree grower's uncle, J.B. Smith.

The grower, Larry Smith, compared Wednesday's tree cutting to the Super Bowl for him and his family.

[ [ALSO READ: First lady Melania Trump unveils White House Christmas decorations] ]

Last summer, Larry Smith was named Grand Champion of the National Christmas Tree Association's tree contest.  With the award, goes the honor of presenting a Christmas tree to the White House.

Since he was in high school, Smith said he dreamed of having one of his trees in the White House.

"It's been a long time," Smith said.

Smith fought back tears as he talked about the honor of a lifetime. One of his Christmas trees will end up in the Blue Room of the White House by early next week.

The 22-year-old, 19-foot Fraser fir tree was cut down at Smith's Mountain Top Fraser Fir. Then, a crane moved the tree onto a flatbed truck, where it was pulled out of the field for the long journey north.

"It's matured. We basically haven't trimmed it. It's about been abandoned so it's sort of like a Cinderella story. This particular tree is getting to go to the big ball," Smith said.

The tree will make a stop Wednesday afternoon in downtown Lenoir in Caldwell County around 2 p.m.

The tree grower has tried to win the national Christmas tree contest five times. He told Channel 9, now that he has reached his lifelong goal, he is setting his sights even higher.

“Sitting out here on the deck the other night I could see the moon and the stars.  I looked up and I said, 'You know, it would be pretty great for a piece of a North Carolina Fraser fir to end up on the moon,'" said Smith.

Smith, along with his family, will present the tree to first lady Melania Trump Monday.

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