How the Helping Hands of Many, Brought the Community Together this Holiday Season

Our winter season is in full swing here at David Street Station. As we look forward to skating around the ice rink, enjoying a hot cup of cocoa by the fire pit, or relishing in the vibrant glow of our Community Christmas Tree, we must first look back on the community members and organizations that brought this magical season upon us.

As the time of the year comes for the ice rink to be installed, we call on our friends at High Country Crane Service to come in and lift our ice rink chillers onto the roof of our facility. Brandon and the generous team at GW Mechanical follow along to get the chillers and piping prepped so that we can begin building the ice. One major component to do so is the electricity of course, which we rely on Alliance Electric to make sure all is good to go!

To keep the ice secure, we set up the dasher boards that were custom made by the one and only, Kustom Koncepts. These boards create a perfect outline of the ice rink, as well as provide a barrier in the middle of the rink between skaters and where the Christmas tree is placed.

Each year, we seek out our Community Christmas Tree through a contest. Through these submissions, we search for the perfect tree to put in the center of our ice rink to create a holiday staple in downtown Casper. We of course should point out that this tree must have a reason for removal, as well as be easy to access, which is determined by professional arborists in town.

This year, Ivonne Chavez-Medina and her family were the lucky winners of our contest, and graciously donated their tree to become our 2021-2022 Community Christmas Tree. The leading issue was that the roots of this tree were beginning to grow into the septic system of their home. Put that together with its easy access in their front yard, and the beautiful height and shape of tree, it was undoubtedly the one.

Time came to cut and transport the tree to David Street Station, where it would be installed and stand tall this holiday season. To help us with this immense task, several companies around town came together and made the process a simple one. Not to mention, these companies donated all of their time, equipment, and expertise, which we are beyond thankful for here at David Street Station.

To kick things off, the wonderful team at Rodolph Brothers showed up bright and early to cut the tree down from the family’s home. Once cut, Black Hills Trucking lifted the tree up and over onto the trailer for transportation. Total Oilfield Rentals then drove the tree through town, creating spark and wonder in the eyes of bystanders as the tree passed by their homes and office buildings.

After arriving at David Street Station, Black Hills Trucking came back in action by raising the tree over our facility and into place. Rodolph Brothers then secured the tree by bolting it into the ground, as well as securing the top with wires that stretch out over the ice rink and fasten into the pillars of the station. And there we had it, a free-standing tree. But one thing was missing, which was the decorations and lights of course!

Equipment Share, a local equipment rental company, brought in boom lifts to help reach the heights needed to complete the final step of preparing the tree. Galles Greenhouse used these lifts to hang the ornaments, string the lights, and create a perfectly decorated tree from top to bottom.

Combine all of this together, and we were READY for opening day and our tree lighting ceremony. As community members and visitors came downtown, they strapped on their skates, glided around the ice, and felt the cool Wyoming breeze pass by. The sun went down, and thousands gathered around the ice rink to take part in the tree lighting ceremony. The countdown began at “10” and made its way down to “1”, as Mrs. Claus and the Chavez-Medina family plugged in the tree to let the colorful lights shine and bring the spirit of Christmas to life.

This moment in time wouldn’t have been possible without the support of these individuals and organizations, who truly are here for our community and believe in our mission at David Street Station.

So come join us this season at the station and see why many people say the atmosphere is one that could come right out of a Hallmark movie! We’d love to have you at the place #WhereCasperComesTogether.