West Boylston, Mass. - It isn't just an apple tree, it's a memorial. A tribute to those who lost their lives to addiction.

"I wanted to call attention to those people who might not be otherwise remembered," said Reverend Janice Ford. "Especially in jail."

Reverend Ford donated the tree which now lives in the new Worcester County Sheriff's Office apple orchard. There are more than a dozen trees like this remembering loved ones who passed away.

"We did two trees," said one donor in a ceremony on Wednesday. "One of memory of my in-laws, and one in memory of my parents."  

What You Need To Know

  • A new apple orchard at the Worcester County Sheriff's Office will produce fruit, which will be donated to those in need locally
  • Each tree is a memorial for someone who lost their life
  • To date, the Sheriff's Office has donated more than 200,000 pounds of fresh organic produce

 

"These trees mean a lot to me because I had grown up with apple orchards in my backyard," said another donor.

Families and friends tied yellow ribbons around their trees on Wednesday.

"Today was the dedication of not only an apple orchard to the loved ones who now will have fruit that will be born in their name," said Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis. "But also to dedicate that fruit to feeding this community."

The Sheriff’s Reserve Deputy Association did the planting in October 2020. The apples will be harvested and donated along with the vegetables grown in an organic farm.

"We always distribute food in our peak growing season, about 500 pounds a day and we distribute them to homeless shelters, food pantries, senior centers, wherever there's a need," Evangelidis said. 

To date, the Sheriff's Office has distributed more than 200,000 pounds of produce. For Reverend Ford, the trees are a symbol of new life.

"I think about it as a way of those men who have gone, continuing their life in a way through the fruit of the trees," Reverend Ford said.