The foggy skies of La Jolla changed in an instant the night of Dec. 13 when the ceremonial switch was flipped on the community Christmas tree, lighting up the Recreation Center grounds.
The decades-long tradition of decorating and lighting the 80-foot pine at 615 Prospect St. — which stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic — was resurrected last year by the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club and La Jolla-based GDC Construction with a price tag of about $15,000 for new ornaments and lights. Community members ended up raising more than $20,000.
Following the success of the 2024 effort, Sunrise Rotary members again raised funds and secured permits to light the tree this year. It will continue to be illuminated nightly through December.
Alan Dulgeroff, president of the La Jolla Community Recreation Group, the advisory board for the Rec Center, said he was “so proud” to have the tradition back. ♦