This evergreen’s lights will be green too with 50,000 LEDs.

Cranes and riggers will hoist Long Island’s favorite Christmas Tree, an 80 foot tall holiday evergreen on Monday, November 17th, after 9:00 a.m. at RXR Plaza, Hempstead Turnpike, west of Meadowbrook Parkway, Uniondale, as the 10 ton tree arrives on a flatbed to mark the start of the region’s holiday season.

Harvested from a site in Canaan, New York, RXR is installing 50,000 LED’s on its branches, saving the equivalent of the energy used by 20 Long Island homes for one year. The LEDs will also reduce lighting costs by 98% and reflects an overall strategy by RXR to implement energy conservation technology wherever and whenever feasible throughout its real estate portfolio. However, while the LED’s reflect a significant advance in reducing our collective carbon footprints while celebrating the holiday, the three and half miles of wire needed to connect those devices are still expected to require hundreds of man hours to untangle.

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of the tree at RXR Plaza will be the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, who too have embraced RXR’s green initiatives. The Girl Scouts will be bringing hand-made ornaments constructed from recycled materials. The ornaments, each uniquely crafted, will be on display in the lobby of RXR Plaza which will be resplendent in holiday finery, ready to usher in the holiday season.

A Tree Lighting that welcomes Super Star Ashanti

For many Long Islanders, the Tree-Lighting event marks the commencement of the holidays. This year’s extravaganza, kicks off at 5:30 pm on Saturday, December 6th and features a cast of Long Island Super-Stars …headlined by international, Grammy winner Ashanti, a Glen Cove native and Long Island’s fab four- Push Play. For the kids---from Wainscott Studio’s PBS original show, It’s A Big, Big World, will be the lovable 7’ tall, furry character “Snook”. He too will have some of his own environmental holiday tips to pass on to the crowd. On the ice, a dazzling performance from Long Island champions Chloe Katz from Wantagh and Joseph Lynch from Sea Cliff, along with more than a dozen of Long Island’s future up and coming stars.

In keeping with the spirit of giving throughout the holiday season, RXR, will again join with Island Harvest to help feed the hungry among Long Island’s under-served communities. Last year, RXR collaborated with Island Harvest on its “Sponsor a Bulb on Long Island’s Favorite Tree” program and together fed over 150 families.