A tree in Rockefeller Park was dedicated in honor of senior Ava Hecht on Friday, May 8. Hecht passed away from meningococcal infection on Thursday, January 8. The ceremony, which was organized by Ava’s family and the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, was held in Penny Park in Rockefeller Park and lasted from 4 p.m. to around 5:30 p.m.

The dedicated tree had a plaque embedded into the ground next to it that read “Ava’s Tree ‘There’s Always Room to Add A Few New Songs’ – Ava Hecht 2009.” The tree that was dedicated to Ava was a Golden Rain, a fast-growing tree with yellow flowers that typically blooms in June or July.

“We felt it was important to put the tree in Rockefeller Park because she hung out there often while at Stuy. Aalso we wanted the tree to be close enough to Stuy that it could be easily accessed by anyone in the community who wanted to visit it,” Ava’s sister, Elena Hecht (’04) said.

The ceremony also had an open floor for anyone who wanted to speak or perform anything.

Ava’s family and friends, along with many other Stuyvesant students, attended the ceremony. Some Stuyvesant faculty also attended, including Parent Coordinator Harvey Blumm and Assistant Principal English Eric Grossman.

The ceremony started with a short speech from Ava’s mother, Karen Gang, who was the Master of Ceremonies. Gang wanted the ceremony to be the celebration of Ava’s life, instead of a mourning of her death.

“[A] celebration for Ava, a celebration of Ava,” Gang said during her speech.

Gang’s opening was followed by a speech by Elena Hecht. Students and family friends then took turns with the microphone.

There will also be a scholarship offered in Ava’s name for students next year, although the details are not yet finalized.

While most of the speakers chose to tell their fondest and most vivid memories of Ava, others opted for a more creative approach. There was a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” as well as a saxophone solo. The open floor then ended with a guitar and singing ensemble of a Bible passage put to music.

“This ceremony was very fitting for her because the tree, which represents life, also sums up Ava’s view on life, which was to live life to the fullest,” junior Jan Raphael Cornel said after the ceremony.

Other students also agreed.

“I think the [ceremony] was a great idea because it showed respect towards Ava, and commemorates who she was at Stuyvesant,” sophomore David Gong said.