HAVERHILL — As it turns out, there was no need to worry.

Organizers of the downtown Christmas Stroll were uncertain whether they'd be able to find a holiday tree big enough to dominate Washington Square in the heart of downtown. They had problems finding the right tree in past years.

But for this year's event, Haverhill will have a wide choice of trees to grace Washington Square.

"We have been bombarded" with calls from people willing to donate big trees, said Leanne Eastman, vice president of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the stroll.

About 15 people have contacted the chamber so far to offer trees for the event, she said.

Eastman said she will soon visit the would-be donors and select this year's tannenbaum. It will definitely be an evergreen — whoever heard of an oak, a maple or a palm being decorated as a Christmas tree? It will probably measure close to 30 feet tall, Eastman said.

The local Sign Center will take care of decorating the tree, she said.

In years past, finding a tree for downtown Haverhill's holiday celebration has sometimes been challenging. The city had too few people willing to donate a tree, or the trees were too small.

But two years ago, resident Lisa Comei made the task easy when she donated a large pine that had been growing near her house on Chadwick Road. The tree was cut down and brought to Washington Square, where it was erected across the street from the post office.

The official tree-lighting ceremony usually takes place during the annual Christmas Stroll, with the mayor flipping the switch.

While the chamber appears to be all set with the main Christmas attraction, it needs help with decorating the city's lampposts, Eastman said. Anyone who would like to adopt a lamppost for the holiday season and take responsibility for adorning it with a seasonal theme is asked to call Eastman at the chamber at 1-978-373-5663.

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