• Aprill Brandon •
• Originally published November 30, 2008 at 11:08 p.m., updated November 30, 2008 at 11:08 p.m.

Gina Villegas loved Christmas. She loved decorating the tree and everything else that went along with the season.

And that is what always makes getting through the holidays difficult for her longtime friend Becky Vargas. Villegas passed away almost five years ago at the age of 34, the victim of a violent crime. It's always at Christmas that Vargas, 47, feels the loss most acutely.

While the grief never completely goes away, the annual Tree of Angels ceremony helps Vargas to cope with both her friend's passing and the holiday season.

"She was so full of life, it's hard to believe she's gone," she said. "But every time I hang an angel on the tree, I feel like she can see me."

The Tree of Angels was initiated in 1991 in Austin by Verna Lee, the executive advisor of People Against Violent Crime. The event was started to recognize that the holiday season is a difficult time for victims and their families, according to the organization's Web site.

This will be the seventh annual Tree of Angels for Victoria, Port Lavaca and other surrounding counties. On Tuesday, friends and family of victims of violent crime, as well as local law enforcement officials, will gather to remember and celebrate the lives of the ones they lost.

Esmerelda Stringo has attended every Tree of Angels ceremony since it began in Port Lavaca. Back then it was a small gathering of about 20 families, she said. That number has now tripled.

"It's a lot of people coming together and that's good to see. The holidays are always an emotional time," she said. "You find people that are going through the same feelings as you. They understand."

Stringo lost her son, Kevin, in 1992, another victim of violent crime.

"When you're left behind with the destruction of a violent crime, you just can't imagine all the feelings you go through. Nothing is worse than losing a child," she said. "But it helps to know you are not alone."

• The Tree of Angels Ceremony will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Bauer Community Center in Port Lavaca. Reception and silent auction to follow. For more information, call Mary Sue Woods at 361-552-2091.

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