NJ memory tree offers a place of remembrance and hope for grieving families

HOLGATE, N.J.(PIX11)-- On its golden sands and whispering winds, Holgate, Long Beach Island, is where Laura Lowney comes to honor the memory of her son, Jared Crippen.

"His favorite place is LBI," said Crippen. "This is where he learned to surf."

Crippen was a star athlete and beloved student at Brick Memorial High School. In 2019, he suffered a concussion playing lacrosse. Five weeks later, he took his own life.

"He was a beautiful person," said Lowney. "He was kind, he was talented, he was everything. I mean, he was everything."

A pair of angel wings and a shell in his honor adorn Holgate's memory tree, which appears every holiday season at the very end of the island.

"I know he's with me, and we'll all be together again one day," said Lowney.

For years, people have come from far and wide to leave messages on shells and place them at the foot of the tree.

"My dad, my grandmother, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my three dogs that have all passed on," said Cheryl Grande of Manahawkin. 

Drew Hoinash, a member of the Silver Sands Surf Club, helped start it all six years ago.

"I've heard every story," said Hoinash. "I can't believe what it's done for people."

It's gone from collecting a few hundred shells to, this year, an estimated 3,000. Each January, Hoinash and other club members collect the shells and read the messages inscribed on each one before casting them into the ocean.

"The emotions kind of just overcome you completely," said Hoinash.

It's not too late to leave a shell to honor a loved one. The Surf Club will collect the shells until mid-January.

"We're all experiencing it," said Hoinash. "We're all in the same line. We're all going to go one day. I mean if this gives people hope and lets them get through that day, this is the best thing we can do for them."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. It is a free, 24/7 service that offers support, information, and local resources. You can also click here for additional hotlines in your area.