At its meeting on Dec. 7, the Winthrop Town Council endorsed a grassroots fundraising effort to build a memorial in honor of Ramona Cooper and David Green, the Winthrop residents who lost their lives to a hate crime last June.
The organizers are hoping to raise $20,000 to plant a row of 30 trees along Shirley St. between Cross St. and Beach Rd., where Cooper and Green lost their lives. The funds will also cover the cost of labor, a memorial plaque, and possible seating. The victims’ families support the plan to celebrate their loved ones in this way.
Grace Kingsbery, on behalf of the Winthrop Tree Committee, created a GoFundMe page for the project.
“The community wants to fill the street with life, to remind us of the importance of loving our neighbors,†reads the fund description. “We promise both families that their loved ones were not lost in vain.â€
Councilors Tracey Honan and Stephen Ruggiero drafted a resolution for the Town Council to endorse this community-driven campaign. It passed unanimously.
A caller from Precinct 6 expressed her “gratitude and support†for the project.
“This is going to be a meaningful memorial,†she said.
People can donate at the GoFundMe.com page, or by mailing checks to Town Hall with “Cooper Green Memorial†in the memo. Donations may also be made directly to the Winthrop Tree Committee.
As of the date of this publication, the GoFundMe project had raised $4,531 from 67 donors. It is unclear how much has been gathered outside of the platform.
Fundraisers will also be mailing out postcards with a link to the GoFundMe page in order to raise more awareness of the campaign.