Residents make 88-year-old man’s dreams come true by decorating tree he planted as a sapling 40 years ago
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MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio (WFLA) — An Ohio man was “overwhelmed with emotion” last month after his family and community members came together to give him the best holiday surprise.
Gene, 88, who’s been living in Mentor-on-the-Lake for 70 years, planted a sapling that his son brought home from school on Arbor Day 40 years ago.
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Now, decades later, the once small sapling sits as a 40-foot tree in front of his home.
In a Facebook post, the Mentor-on-the-Lake Police Department said that for decades, Gene has had the dream of having lights placed around this tree. On Nov. 24, 2023, community members, along with his family, were finally able to make his dream a reality.
The police department said Gene was “overwhelmed with emotion” seeing the tree strung with beautiful lights and topped with an angel for the first time.
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