Some invitations are easy to say yes to.

On April 28, the Orem Mayor and City Council will plant a Freedom Tree at City Hall. 3 PM. 56 N State Street. Part of the America 250 and Utah 250 celebrations marking a quarter of a millennium since the founding of this country.

It sounds simple. It is. But the simple things are usually the ones worth showing up for.

A tree is a long-term commitment. You don’t plant one for yourself. You plant it for the people who’ll sit under it after you’re gone — the kids who’ll climb it, the families who’ll picnic next to it, the veterans who’ll pause at it on a quiet morning and remember what it stands for. That’s the whole idea behind a Freedom Tree. It’s a living marker. Roots in the ground. Branches reaching forward.

Freedom isn’t an abstract concept to me — it’s something earned, maintained, and passed forward by people who decided it was worth their time. Planting a tree is a small act. But small acts done with intention build the kind of community that lasts.

Orem calls itself Family City USA. This is what that looks like in practice. Not a slogan on a sign — a city government, residents, and veterans showing up together to put something living into the ground.

If you’re in Orem, come. Bring your kids. Bring your neighbors. Stand for a few minutes in the spring sun and watch a tree go in.

It won’t take long. And in 50 years, it’ll still be there.

April 28, 2026 — 3 PM
Orem City Hall, 56 N State Street

See you there.