SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2024
6-9pm
Fabulous Red Attire is Encouraged
KEY WEST LIGHTHOUSE & KEEPERS QUARTERS
938 Whitehead St Key West, FL 33040
TICKETS $125
Live Music • Lite Bites • Silent Auction
Books Calendars & Tree Sales
Live Music from The Conch Fusion Band
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE REPLANTING OF
QUALITY TREES IN KEY WEST, FL
Save A Tree / Key West
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
KEY WEST ART & HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE REPLANTING OF
QUALITY TREES IN KEY WEST, FL
THE SAVE A TREE FOUNDATION IS A 501(C)3
Your generous donations will be tax deductible.
Become a Sponsor!
Make a Donation
Who is Merili McCoy?
Anyone who compares 1940s and 50s photos with today's will notice a big difference: trees! And former City Commissioner Merili McCoy (1930-2005) had a huge hand in that by starting the Tree Commission.
McCoy was the niece of Conrad Hilton, founder of the hotel chain, and the wife of the late Sonny McCoy, who served as a county commissioner as well as mayor of Key West. But Merili was not lost in the shadows of the powerful men around her. She was active in the community, a member of Zonta and its one-time president.
But her passion was to preserve the island's heritage and its trees. In a 2005 interview by Alyson Crean in the Keynoter, Merili remembered growing up with the Hemingway boys and climbing the lighthouse to bomb tourists with Spanish limes.
Cheers to the Key West Art & Historical Society and Save a Tree Key West for their recent fundraiser. The Merili McCoy Royal Poinciana Red Party raised money to support the replanting of these wonderful trees throughout the island city. The inaugural event is a thoughtful way to honor the legacy of McCoy, the original “Tree Lady” of Key West, while propagating the glorious tree throughout the area.
— The Key Citizen Editorial Board
