Local Family Puts Christmas Tree on Beach

SEA ISLE CITY – For the second year in a row, the Giordano Family has mounted a fresh-cut Christmas tree in the sand on Sea Isle City’s 44^th Street Beach, simply to brighten the holidays for others.
The idea to erect a Christmas tree on the beach came to the young family in 2020 during the pandemic – and soon after their public display of holiday cheer received a great deal of attention on social media and elsewhere, resulting in countless people traveling over the dunes to pose for photos next to the tree.
Because their tree was very well-received during the 2020 Christmas season, parents Nicholas and Shannon Giordano and their three children, Gracelynn, 8, Giovanni, 6, and Vincenzo, 5, decided to keep the tree in place when the new year arrived; and, as 2021 unfolded, they replaced the Christmas trim with decorations for Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter.
Knowing how popular their first tree was, the Giordano family decided to repeat their act of good will this Christmas. So, during the recent Thanksgiving weekend they purchased a 7-foot Colorado blue spruce and cheerfully carried it onto the sand.
In addition to the decorations that currently adorn the new tree’s branches, this year the Giordanos added battery operated lights, which illuminate the tree at night.  They also attached a permanent marker to one of the stakes that hold the tree in place so passersby can write holiday messages on seashells and place them around the tree’s base.
“We hope the tree will be just as popular this year as it was last year,” said Shannon Giordano. “It fills out hearts when we hear that people are enjoying the tree, and we especially like going onto the beach and seeing people enjoy it firsthand. Our children love reading the messages on the seashells and discovering what ornaments others have added. It’s safe to say that the tree brings our family a lot of joy.” 
Knowing that many individuals and families will likely make a special trip to the beach to view the tree, Nicholas and Shannon are asking people to make a donation to Mayor Desiderio’s 29^th Annual Holiday Toy and Food Drive when they do so.  To collect those donations, the Mayor’s Office has placed a drop-box in front of the Beach Patrol Headquarters on the Promenade at 44^th Street, where the public can place unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with pick-ups taking place each day shortly after 5:00 PM. All donations will be delivered to families in need prior to Christmas Eve.
“We wish we thought of asking for donations last year,” added Shannon. “But we are glad that this year’s tree will help support the Mayor’s Toy Drive.”