Ornament on National Christmas Tree celebrates Jayhawks
Published on Thu., December 4th, 2008
When President George W. Bush and his wife Laura light the National Christmas Tree tonight live on C-SPAN, a little bit of Rock Chalk Jayhawk will be sprinkled in with the holiday cheer.
Ornaments honoring the 2008 National Champion Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team will decorate both the national and the Kansas State trees at the White House. The ornaments feature the official championship logo and also recognize the four previous national titles.
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“It’s a special honor that obviously doesn’t come around every year,” said Jim Marchiony, associate athletic director. “It’s something that we’re very proud of. It’s one more way that Kansas can celebrate the national championship.”
One ornament from each state will hang on the National Tree and 50 from each state will hang on each state’s individual tree. Anita Wolgast, who has been designing the Kansas ornament since 1981, decided the Jayhawks would be a perfect group to represent the state of Kansas in Washington, D.C., this holiday season.
“The guidelines say to create something that symbolizes the history, heritage and culture of our state,” Wolgast said. “And we’re just so proud of the history and culture that KU has provided the state of Kansas.”
Wolgast, a Topeka native, last used an athletic team on the ornament in 2003, when Kansas State football was honored for playing in 10 consecutive bowl games. But after Mario Chalmers’ three pointer sent the 2008 National Championship game into overtime and the Jayhawks defeated Memphis 75-68, she said it was a no-brainer to honor them on this year’s ornament.
The lighting ceremony, which traditionally draws more than 20,000 spectators in person and millions more on TV, runs from 4 to 5 p.m. CDT tonight.
Wolgast won’t be in attendance this year, but said she had been to several of the lighting ceremonies in the past. She said getting to represent the state of Kansas and display her ornament was a feeling like no other.
“It’s an absolute thrill,” Wolgast said. “I went last year and it’s just a thrill and a joy to be able to do this and have a place in history. It’s fun to stand in front of our tree as the people walk by, because they don’t know who I am and they make comments about it. It’s a joy to be able to do this every year.”
The ornaments are available for purchase in the KU campus bookstores and at www.kustore.com.
— Edited by Becka Cremer
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