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NILES – A new weeping cherry blossom tree is now planted to be enjoyed by residents of Brentwood at Niles, 1147 S. Third St., Niles.

On Friday, Jennifer Kedik, of Brentwood of Niles, led a ceremony attended by staff members of the facility and Niles Mayor Nick Shelton.

The tree-planting ceremony came just one day after Earth Day. The sunny, warm afternoon was welcomed by Kedik, staff attendees and Shelton.

“We are trying to honor our police force, Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service and fire departments with a tree to let them know we are thinking of them,” Kedik said.

Last week, Kedik said the staff’s facility brought donuts to first responders’ offices.

“We know how busy they are, but they may not be here,” Kedik said. “We are happy to be here ourselves.”

Kedik said it had been a “tough” year for everyone.

“We have all kinds of heroes. We wanted to acknowledge we have fallen heroes and we have local heroes,” Kedik said.

The tree was planted outside of the memory care wing of the facility for residents to look out at. The weeping cherry blossom is a flowering tree that will bloom in the spring, marking the season festively for the residents.

“We are an assisted living facility, and we want to be a part of the community,” Kedik said.

Shelton helped plant the tree, and placed the plaque dedicating the tree to the “local heroes.”

“This is just another example of Brentwood doing something awesome in our community,” Shelton said. “We are grateful to have them in the city of Niles.”

Kedik said first responders in the area were invited, but were busy and could not personally attend the ceremony.