50-Year Park Hill Tradition Lights Up The Neighborhood

by Megan Carthel

Between 19th and Montview Boulevard on Leyden Street is an average Park Hill neighborhood. Trees line the block while the sounds of children playing fill the air. But, this neighborhood has a unique tradition.

Hal Weber A 12-15For every child’s birthday on the block, 86-year-old Hal Weber grabs his ski poles, a pouch full of cards and makes the march around Leyden, placing a personalized birthday card on all of the 15 homes, specific for each of the 23 children and one dog. He then lights up a “celebration tree” in honor of each birthday, a tradition he’s had since 1965.

The tradition began after Hal and his wife, Lois, purchased a pine tree and planted it in their yard. During Christmas of 1964, they colored the tree with lights — the first of many lightings of the celebration tree. Though they didn’t know it at the time, this would become an important tradition for the whole block.

“We like celebrating. We like color. We like lights. We like fun,” Weber said. “So after Christmas, it seemed foolish to me to have to wait another 11 months before we got that tree lit up out there.”

So the Webers decided to light the tree up any time their family was celebrating an occasion. When their daughter’s friend, Wendy, had a birthday in February 1965, Hal decided to light up the tree. Since then, Hal has made sure every child on the block has a special birthday.

“It was all by accident,” Weber said. “It pretty much just evolved.”

His accident has touched the hearts of many of his neighbors, including Chris Wester who has three kids. Weber has lit the tree every year for each child. Wester has kept every single card Weber has given her children. Weber normally stops the cards at age 16, poking fun at the new teen drivers, but for Wester’s youngest child James, Weber has kept the tradition alive. James has a mental disability and does not understand the concept, but Weber makes his day special every year.

Hal Weber C 12-15“I have to believe that somewhere inside of him, that is just a warm fuzzy for him,” Wester said. “It has to be.”

James loves basketball and plays every year in the Special Olympics with the Denver Parks and Recreation Department. Weber personalized his last birthday card with a basketball theme.

“Hal is just the most humble man, but he is so special, thoughtful, kind and gentle,” Wester said.

Wester recalls a special moment when her daughter Annie was 10. The family walked down to the celebration tree the evening of her birthday and sang happy birthday to her.

“It was so cool. I mean, how sweet can that be,” Wester said.

Wester said Weber is like a grandfather on the block — an extension of the family. Weber keeps a categorized list of every child on the block. The children are divided by months and a note on the side indicates the year they were born. However, Weber and his wife moved out of the neighborhood this fall and into a senior living facility — difficult news for many on the block. Weber broke the news in typical Hal fashion, a note placed on each door.

“It just kind of broke my heart,” Wester said with tears in her eyes. “I am sure he heard from every single one of us how important this has been to us. Every time I see that card on the door, I just smile.”

But Weber does not plan on ending his tradition. He plans on surprising the neighborhood with his birthday cards, ensuring that the memory of the celebration tree is still glowing bright. The tree is gone now, but he’s premade many of the birthday cards, halfway through January.

“In December it’s going to be Luke, he was born in ’99. It’s going to be his last year. He’s going to be a driver,” Weber said. “Then Jack who’s a baseball fan, so I’ll have something relative to that, then his sister. Then it’ll be Rebecca, Becky.”

Weber’s simple act of celebrating birthdays has brought the entire block together.

“There’s just something about if your kid is celebrating a birthday, and I’m driving down the street, I’m going to wave and go happy birthday,” Wester said.

The entire block has a list of each other’s names, phone numbers and email addresses. Many families have lived on Leyden for over 10 years. The new family on the block has been there for three.

“I don’t think there’s another block in Park Hill like this,” Wester said. “It’s the nicest feeling of family in a neighborhood that I could ever imagine.”

Indeed, Weber has seen many of the kids grow up.

“I’ve seen them when they were a pouch of water in their mother to a point when several of them are in college and maybe out of college by now,” Weber said.

Weber has worked and been around kids his entire life. Working as a pediatric audiologist, he started the Colorado Department of Health’s state-wide hearing program, which helps kids with hearing loss solve their problems. In a way, Weber said, overcoming obstacles has always been his direction.

“I love life,” Weber said.

Weber has made sure the card and celebration tree continued, even after having two hip replacements and a pinched nerve in his back. To this day, Weber has a recumbent bike he still rides.

“He just makes me want to be a better person and keep going,” Wester said.

And for his birthday, how does he celebrate?

“Nothing special,” Weber said.

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