The HUGS foundation, located here in Westhampton Beach, puts up Christmas trees in local spots every year to spread positivity around the holidays.
The idea for the trees, which are placed at Rogers Beach in Westhampton Beach, Webby’s Beach in Center Moriches, and at Veterans Park in Mattituck, this organization would also love to put up more trees. According to HUGS director Kym Laube, “It was simply a way to connect to the community by sharing positive messages at one of our favorite local spots.”
The idea for the tree came during the holiday season of 2020, Laube could feel sadness between the Covid shutdown and with everyone being isolated and quarantined. She kept researching what other people have done and found someone in New Jersey who put up a Christmas tree due to Hurricane Sandy. After getting a permit on Rogers Beach the HUGS organization decide to put up a tree. They collect shells so people can go to the beach, write notes on the shells, and hang them up on the Christmas tree.
Laube said the tree is really a community project. She said, “Although we place some decorations on the tree it is really up to the community to adorn it with decorated shells.”
In the future, The organization plans on keeping the tree up, but they might need some help from students to collect more shells since so many people have been going to them.
If you don’t know, HUGs is an organization in Westhampton Beach that is non-profit and it provides mental health resources and drug prevention programs all throughout schools and communities.
Follow them on any of the social media accounts or contact [email protected]
