Belmar Heart-Shaped Memorial For Those Lost To COVID

BELMAR – A memorial for people who passed because of COVID-19 is growing at a place that always has a lot of life.

A heart-shaped mosaic of rocks sit together on the beach in Belmar as part of a memorial to those from the Jersey Shore, according to NBC4, with each rock displaying the name of someone lost to COVID-19.

Rima Samman carved out this corner of Belmar’s beach as a memorial site, painting clam shells with the names of lost ones, including her brother, according to NBC4.

Vivian Meitzler’s name is handwritten in black marker on a stone; she worked in a hospital but died last April, according to The Asbury Park Press. Her sister, Wayne resident Jean Sime, wrote her name on the stone and placed it in this memorial several weeks ago, according to The Press.

“It was comforting to know that her stone was with the other lost souls,” Sime told The Press. “Even now when I go back there, it’s therapeutic for me. It means so much to me, as it does to many other families that have loved ones’ names written in there.”