Decorating the White House!

Posted Date: 12/21/2024

We must share this amazing story about our LISD Speech Pathologist, Brittany Richards. She went to Washington, DC with her husband Zack during the Thanksgiving Break to decorate the White House. What a great opportunity and story to tell. Mrs. Richards says, "In September, I took a leap of faith and applied for an extraordinary opportunity: the chance to decorate the White House for the holidays. In October, I received the thrilling news that my husband and I had been accepted as one of 200 volunteer decorators nationwide. The week of Thanksgiving, we traveled to Washington, D.C., to help transform the White House into a stunning celebration of "A Season of Peace and Light." As part of the team tasked with decorating the front entry and foyer, Zack & I had the honor of creating a welcoming first impression for visitors. This included constructing and hanging over 2,000 white and gold doves, symbols of peace, that soared beautifully throughout the space. She worked hand-in-hand with the White House carpenter and curator to ensure every detail respected the integrity of this historic, accredited museum. Her contributions included decorating the iconic front entry trees, designing red floral arrangements, adorning garlands, and decorating the staircase leading to the president’s residence. At the same time, her husband did the heavy lifting and worked on garlands. "It was surreal to collaborate with the White House staff, and we worked closely with the Secret Service as we brought this vision to life," she says. "This once-in-a-lifetime experience was humbling and inspiring. I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of this magical tradition and look forward to applying again next year to help continue this cherished holiday legacy." Oh Brittany, we hope you get to do it again! This is so fun! https://files.gabbart.com/455/washdcvideo.mp4