Tree of Memories: A Celebration of Life
Provincetown resident Fran Coco brings comfort and healing to those who have lost loved ones by donating a seashell ornament in their names every year.
For Fran Coco, the seasonal fundraiser Tree of Memories holds a special place in her heart.
When her friend’s daughter died in 2002, Coco made a donation for a shell ornament in her name to provide a sense of comfort, healing and peace. Ever since, she has donated shells annually in memory of family, friends, community members—or their loved ones. “The event is very important to me to remember those who have gone before us and to comfort those who have lost loved ones, especially during the holidays when the feeling of loss can be intensified,” says Coco.
Throughout the month of December, the Tree of Memories will feature seashell ornaments bearing the names of loved ones displayed on evergreen trees framing the memorial walkway outside the McCarthy Care Center in East Sandwich. The fundraiser supports the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod Hospice.
Coco says this year is especially personal and heartbreaking because she lost her cousin to pancreatic cancer eight months after he was diagnosed. She is donating 31 shells, including one in his name, this year to be hung at McCarthy Care Center.
For those who can’t make it to the location in Sandwich, Coco says she retrieves the shells and personally delivers or mails the shells to friends and family members. “I’ve gotten responses from people saying the shell means a lot to them and some of them hang it on their Christmas tree every year.”
The McCarthy Care Center, 73 Service Road in East Sandwich, was named in honor of Mary E. McCarthy, founder of the Cape’s first hospice. The McCarthy Care Center now serves as an inpatient facility providing compassionate care for patients at the end of life.
