KENMORE — The holiday season can be difficult at times, for those who have lost a loved one to Covid 19, these first holidays without them can be especially heart breaking. This year, the Kenmore Village Improvement Society (KVIS) has added a tree in the village gazebo, located in front of 1 Delaware Road where Delaware Avenue and Delaware Road meet.
The public is invited to hang a non-breakable ornament on the tree in memory of someone they know who has died of COVID 19. Those who have been negatively affected by COVID 19, suffering from long COVID, etc. are also invited to hang an ornament. The ornament can have the name of the person on it or can be symbolic of that person. People living anywhere in Western New York are welcome to join in this meaningful tribute.
KVIS decorates the center of the village each season, taking care to create visual displays that are engaging and pleasing. The all-volunteer group has been working to make their neck of the woods as good as possible in as many ways as possible for 14 years.
KVIS President Melissa Foster said, “My mother died a year ago from COVID 19, I know first-hand the terrible and unusual strain and grief that accompanies this kind of death. We hope that hanging an ornament in this way may be a balm to those who have experienced grief and loss from COVID.”
Many people today are living with the on-going effects of long COVID; the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms are varied and can have a profound impact on day-to-day life. People who are suffering with long COVID or know of someone who is, are also welcomed to hang a non-breakable ornament on the tree.
