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Retirees Prepare "World's Largest Christmas Tree"

Last updated on Tuesday, October 2, 2007

(INDIANAPOLIS) - It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least in the swine barn at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

That's where IBEW local 481 retirees are getting strands of Christmas lights ready for the "World's Largest Christmas Tree" on Monument Circle.

Volunteer Jim Webb says it takes about three days to go through 55 strands of lights. The nearly 5000 multi-colored light bulbs are changed, the wires inspected, sockets replaced, and fuses checked. This year, nearly every bulb must be replaced because of bad winter storms last year.

Retirees from the union have maintained the lights for more than forty years.

On November 10, more than 200 union volunteers will put the lights up on the circle. The switch to turn them on will be flipped the day after Thanksgiving.

The lights are tested a few days before the big moment.

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