Lego my Christmas tree: Longtime Christmas Tree Elegance couple’s latest creation sure to be a hit with the kiddos

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Doug and Gail Belanger’s home long before Thanksgiving.

Actually, it was beginning to look a lot like Legoland, too.

The glittering white tree in their living room window sported a few Lego ornaments, but the true booty spread into their dining room. From the bigger Duplo bricks (just right for toddler-size hands) to the tiny pieces of a Disney Castle meant for those 16-plus to a child-size Lego mannequin sporting an elf hat, bricks abounded.

This is the couple’s eighth year of creating Christmas magic to raise funds for the Spokane Symphony, and the Belanger’s Giddyup, Giddyup, Giddyup, Lego tree is sure to be a hit with all ages.

“I chose the Lego theme during Christmas Tree Elegance last year,” Gail said. “I’m already thinking about next year’s tree.”

Their involvement with the Spokane Symphony came through Gail’s participation in the Spokane Symphony Chorale.

“I was the soprano section lead,” she said.

Doug is the president-elect of Spokane Symphony Associates, the fundraising arm of the symphony. Their mission is to raise money for the Spokane Symphony and provide educational opportunities for the community.

“We put the fun in fundraising,” he said.

Tuesday marks the start of the 42nd annual Christmas Tree Elegance presented by the Spokane Symphony Associates. The event, along with the Upscale Sale in the spring, are the two main fundraisers for the organization.

The SSA is composed of chapters that promote camaraderie and facilitate communication.

“We do a single-sponsor tree,” Gail explained. “We purchase everything and then put a little catalog together, and our chapter members choose what they want to pay for.”

Raffle tickets are $1 and offer hopefuls a chance to win a tree and a prize package with a cash value of up to $4,999 while supporting the city’s symphony.

This year, Christmas Tree Elegance will feature 15 trees – nine at the Historic Davenport Hotel and six at River Park Square. You’ll find the Giddyup, Giddyup, Giddyup, Lego tree at the Davenport.

The Belangers focus on family-fun themes. They’ve created Disneyland, Harry Potter and Hello Kitty-themed trees.

Doug smiled and said, “We might be a little less elegant than the others.”

When it comes to decorating a tree for the Davenport, more is more.

“We take a look and then double the decorations,” he said. “Then we go back and add some more.”

Gail said this year, they received a lot of help from Brick Buy Brick, a locally owned Lego trade and resale store.

“They gave us discounts, donated a birthday party and they’re sponsoring the raffle barrel,” she said.

The couple commissioned Lego artwork from co-owner Bryce Colvin. The large “Merry Christmas” sign featuring stars and snowflakes is part of the prize package.

While their package will offer plenty of bricks for little hands, Legos aren’t just for kids. There’s a huge “Home Alone” McCallister’s house set designated for those 18 and older that features a whopping 3,957 pieces – the largest Lego Ideas set to date. It includes a tree house, the crooks’ van, a basement furnace that lights up, swinging paint cans, collapsible shelves and a zip line.

Another set sure to draw attention is Captain America’s Shield. It measures over 18½ inches and features 3,128 pieces.

The Belangers practice assembling the tree at home, but the final display is created on location.

“The hardest part is figuring out how to attach stuff to the tree,” Doug said. “It’s a lot of work, but we have a lot of fun! Last year, Christmas Tree Elegance raised $462,000.”

That’s a lot of $1 raffle tickets.

“The goal is always to create a tree that will get people to buy those tickets,” Gail said.

And that’s where she finds the magic.

“I love walking by and hearing all the people ‘ooh’ and ‘aah,’ and hearing little kids say, ‘Oh! I’m putting all my tickets in this one!’”

Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com