Tree of Hope on Midland Beach

REMEMBERING MIDLAND BEACH FOR THE HOLIDAYS

NOVEMBER 25, 2012
BY: ELENA HART-COHEN

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time to give thanks for family, friends and loved ones and to remember those who are in need. A group of friends took matters in their own hands and raised a 16 foot Christmas tree in the Midland Beach area of Staten Island as a symbol of hope.

The male friends raised the tree Saturday morning and with it "they hope to buoy the spirits of their neighbors and friends who are digging out and rebuilding after the flood waters of Superstorm Sandy," added The Staten Island Advance. The Christmas tree now stands at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Capodanno Boulevard.

"People will drive down Midland Avenue and see that star. We're back. We're here. It's Christmas time, not disaster time," said 70-year-old Tom Killeen, a Grant City resident raised in the neighborhood rocked by Hurricane Sandy, added the report.

Killeen looks forward to folks driving down the devastated avenue to be greeted by a light of hope "at the end of the tunnel." He titled it "Our Tree of Hope in Midland Beach," adds The Advance.

Buddies remember childhood in wake of devastation

"The men, some of whom have been buddies for more than five decades, planted the tall evergreen and decorated it with white lights and a star. It rests in front of a row of American flags attached to the fence behind it and near the Midland Beach Veterans Memorial," according to The Advance.

Conrad Schweizer Nurseries of Grant City donated the tree; Ariemma's Garden Center, Dongan Hills, provided the lights and star.


12/03/2012 02:37 PM
Local Students Set Up Christmas Tree At Midland Beach Intersection

NY1 VIDEO: Local Catholic school students brought some holiday cheer to Midland Beach when they helped set up a Christmas tree at the intersection of Midland Ave and Father Capodanno Boulevard last weekend.

Obama shares Staten Island story as he lights National Christmas Tree

[Posted by Stephanie Slepian/Staten Island Advance December 07, 2012, 11:12 AM]

 

President Obama spoke of Tom Killeen as he lit the National Christmas Tree in Washington on Thursday. Killeen was among a group of neighbors who planted a Christmas tree in Midland Beach to lift the spirits of his neighbors. Associated Press, Staten Island Advance    

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It was a symbol of hope raised simply to lift the spirits of neighbors struggling to rebuild in a close-knit Midland Beach neighborhood.

But on Thursday, the 16-foot spruce was given national attention by President Barack Obama.

As Obama flipped the switch to light the National Christmas Tree outside the White House, he noted the miracle planted at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Capdodanno Boulevard last month.

"A great big Christmas tree shines out of the darkness," Obama said in Washington during the star-studded televised ceremony.

The president -- who toured the borough's storm ravaged beachfront last month -- also made specific mention of Tom Killeen, a Grant City resident born and raised in the area.

"As Tom says, the tree has one message: "It's Christmas time, not disaster time," Obama recounted.

The borough tree -- dubbed "Our Tree of Hope in Midland Beach" -- was planted by a group of longtime friends, many who played football together at the former Semler's Park in Grant City in the 1950s.

Conrad Schweizer Nurseries, Grant City, donated the tree, and Ariemma's Garden Center, Dongan Hills, provided the lights and the star.

Killeen wasn't aware of Obama's comments until he was notified by an Advance reporter.

"That's very nice," he said. "I think everyone will appreciate that."

NY1 VIDEO: Local Catholic school students brought some holiday cheer to Midland Beach when they helped set up a Christmas tree at the intersection of Midland Ave and Father Capodanno Boulevard last weekend.