For Immediate Release

Surprise seniors & students holiday creations to adorn U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

Surprise, AZ (September 14, 2009) Handmade ornaments from members of the Surprise Senior Center and the city's Adaptive Outreach Program are headed to Washington D.C. to help decorate this year's United States Capitol Christmas Tree. 

Nearly 40 Surprise seniors helped to make and decorate the holiday ball-shaped clay ornaments, at the invitation of the Capitol Christmas Tree Steering Committee.  The Surprise ornaments will join many others made by Arizona seniors, school children and various organizations to hang on the tree that came from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in northern Arizona.

"Our group was very creative, we have three different styles of ornaments that we are sending," says Surprise Senior Center Supervisor Leslie Rudders. "Some were made using ceramic glazes, others feature mosaic glass tiles and others are decorated using a one-stroke paint technique."

The southwest is prominently represented on the clay ornament designs, from coyotes and kachinas to chili peppers and cacti.  The undecorated clay rounds were donated by the local art group What's Happening Art Movement (WHAM).

"Our kids in the Adaptive Outreach Program had a blast decorating wooden ornaments with markers, glitter and glue," says Adaptive Recreation Supervisor Joe Gladieux.

In all, approximately 50 U.S Capitol Christmas Tree ornaments will come from Surprise.

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