The Christmas season officially begins each year with the lighting of the majestic Deodar Cedar on the front lawn of Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative’s main office on West Main Street in Pickens. The tree-lighting ceremony has been a tradition for more than 40 years and was begun by Charles Dalton, who became President and CEO of Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in 1982. The tree has had lights at Christmas time even longer, for at least 65 years, according to President and CEO Jim Lovinggood. The tree itself is more than 70 years old, as the tree was standing when the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative office was built in the early 1950’s.

This year’s tree-lighting ceremony was held at 5:15 p.m. the evening of Tuesday, November 26, 2024 and included a selection of Christmas music by students in the Liberty Primary School choir (led by Penny Rose Couch), prayer and Christmas devotion by Oolenoy Baptist Church Pastor Bart Turner, and the lighting of the tree by retired Circuit Court Judge the Honorable Eddie Welmaker.

Those present for the special occasion included Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors, Blue Ridge Electric employees and retired employees, local elected officials, Miss South Carolina Davis Wash, and family members of the Liberty Primary School choir.

The ceremony began with a welcome by Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative President and CEO Jim Lovingood, who thanked Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative Board of Directors Len Talley, Chair, from Oconee County; Mendel Stone, Vice Chair, from Oconee County; Frank Looper, Secretary, from Pickens County; Will Anderson, Treasurer, from Anderson County; Spencer Dalton, from Pickens County, Jimmy Lee Dodgens, from Pickens County; William Elrod, from Pickens County; and Kenneth Southerlin, from Greenville/Spartanburg County. Lovinggood also thanked retired Blue Ridge Electric employees and current employees, as well as Pickens County Clerk of Court Pat Welborn; Chad Brooks, from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office; State Senator Rex Rice and his wife, Ruth; and Miss South Carolina Davis Wash.

Lovinggood then introduced the students of the Liberty Primary School Choir (led by Director Penny Rose Couch), who sang a selection of Christmas songs.

Following the Christmas music, Lovinggood introduced Oolenoy Baptist Church Pastor Bart Turner (who worked at Blue Ridge Electric during summers when he was in high school and college).  Turner prayed and offered a Christmas devotion.

Following the devotional message, Lovinggood spoke of the history of the tree and then introduced Welmaker, who also once worked at Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, as a teenager, and who practiced law for more than 30 years before becoming Judge for 11 years.

Welmaker thanked Lovinggood and said that it was a great honor for him. With the help of the children counting down from five to one, Welmaker then pressed the button to officially light the tree.

Lovinggood thanked Welmaker, and thanked everyone for coming, and invited the crowd to enjoy refreshments of cookies, hot chocolate, and coffee. He then wished everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas.