The magical moment is here! The lighting of the Deco Drive holiday shrub! Alex is live at the Deco International Plaza in North Bay Village, officially kicking off the world’s holiday season.
Lynn, I know that you are feeling the way I am. This is such a meaningful moment, not only for you and me, who’ve been looking forward to it for months, but also for the entire South Florida community.
The lighting of the Deco holiday shrub. For many, this actually officially signifies the start of the holiday season, perhaps throughout the entire country. But before we get to that, we want to show you the journey this shrub took to become the icon it is today.
Ah, the holidays, that time of year when we gather with friends and family, exchange gifts, and decorate the Tree.
Deco’s has a long tradition of celebrating the season, not with a Christmas tree but with a holiday shrub.
The shrub has been a tradition for decades. While it may be small, its legacy stands tall in the annals of deco history.
The search for this year’s shrub takes us to the Boys and Girls Club of Miami-Dade.
Alex Rodriguez-Roig /CEO: “The Boys and Girls Club has been in this community for almost 80 years, and we’re celebrating our 75th year of this Christmas tree tradition, so it’s a great time to be here.”
The perfect holiday shrub has four requirements. It has to have Miami flair, have to smell good, have no criminal record, and be cheap, like free.
To help us pick a shrub, we called on unlicensed arborist Cliff Maplewood, whose qualifications are unmatched.
Cliff Maplewood: “Well, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, and I got this online diploma. That’s about it.”
Cliff browsed the rows of trees, carefully examining each for quality, smell, and that Miami “it” factor.
Cliff Maplewood: “How much is this?”
Alex Rodriguez-Roig: “$125.”
Cliff Maplewood: “Nope!”
Alex Rodriguez-Roig: “This is also a Frasier Fir.”
Cliff Maplewood: “And how much is this one?”
Alex Rodriguez-Roig: “$105.”
Cliff Maplewood: “I don’t think so.”
Then, after many hours of searching, it appeared.
Cliff Maplewood: “What about that one over there?”
Alex Rodriguez-Roig: “That thing over there? That’s garbage.”
And with that fateful transaction, the Deco holiday shrub began its long journey to its rightful home at Deco International Plaza.
Quite an amazing story. Now, let this shrub do what it’s here to do — shine!
So let’s light it up! 5,4,3,2, 1!
[Tree lights up]
Alex Miranda: “Lynn, what do you think?”
Lynn Martinez: “I think it’s absolutely beautiful, especially the umbrella and the British flag, and I love the dust and that it is free. So beautiful! Now, the holiday season has officially started.”