Deck the Trees

January 2024

Every December in Green Cove Springs, Fla., community members light up Spring Park with the Parade of Trees. This event started in 2004 where a few Christmas trees were decorated and placed in the park. This year, there were 224 Christmas trees illuminating the park. Each tree is decorated by families, organizations, or local businesses, and many trees are dedicated to deceased loved ones. This free wonderland brings over 10,000 people annually to walk around the park and see the glow of the holiday spirit.

For the first time, LifeQuest partnered with Legacy Donor Services Foundation to decorate a tree. The Donate Life: Your Gift, Their Life Tree sparkled with hope, love and remembrance. Transplant recipients and donor family members came out and decorated the tree with LifeQuest and Legacy. Images of transplant survivors hung around the tree honoring their donor and their new gift. Donor families also placed images of their loved ones and mementos on the tree. Ornaments sharing facts about organ donation hung on the tree with hopes visitors could learn about the power of organ donation. The Donate Life blue and green colors were illuminated with different ornaments and green bracelets hung for people to take.

Hundreds of people passed by the tree throughout the season and saw the tributes to those who gave the Gift of Life, received a lifesaving gift, and read facts about donation. ‘Tis the season to educate the community about donation!