FRANKFORT, Ky. — As Kentucky eclipsed 10,200 COVID-19 deaths, Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday held a memorial ceremony to honor those lost and announce details for the memorial art installation coming to the Capitol soon.


What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Beshear hosted a COVID-19 memorial service on Sunday after Kentucky surpassed 10,200 deaths

  • Beshear was joined by religious leaders, health care heroes and first responders

  • He also announced that artist and Kentucky-native Amanda Matthews  has been commissioned to create the permanent Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial

  • The ADA-accessible memorial will be added to Monument Park at the Kentucky State Capitol Grounds

First Lady Britainy Beshear, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, religious leaders, health care workers and many more also took part in the service. You can watch the full memorial service here.

“The number of Kentuckians lost to COVID is approaching the total number of our people we lost in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined,” Gov. Beshear said. “Right now, more than 10,000 of our neighbors are gone, and their loved ones are hurting, missing them, preparing for their first or second Thanksgiving with an empty seat at the table.”

He urged unity and dedication to one another during the service, both of which are themes in the newly-commissioned memorial art installation.

An artist rendering of the Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial. (Team Kentucky)

During Sunday's solemn ceremony, Beshear announced that Kentucky-native Amanda Matthews, artist and chief executive officer of Lexington-based Prometheus Foundry, has been commissioned to create the permanent Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial, which will be located in Monument Park on the Kentucky State Capitol grounds.

A COVID-19 Memorial Advisory Panel, which included health care heroes, family members and loved ones of those lost and COVID-19 survivors selected the final design for the memorial.

“As a Kentucky native, Amanda’s pride and compassion for the people of the commonwealth and for the struggles so many have faced during the pandemic shine brightly from her personally and through this work,” Beshear said. “This piece will be expertly crafted, illustrating Kentuckians’ willingness to come together for each other during this pandemic.”

The memorial artwork – titled “United We Stand. Divided We Fall.” – will commemorate Kentucky’s losses since March 2020.

The memorial will feature ADA accessibility design, including visual, audible and tactile as well as symbolic images on bronze discs, Beshear said. It will also be encircled by lights that will first glow green when the sun sets, to symbolize empathy and compassion for those lost throughout the pandemic.

This week, the Beshear administration encouraged all eligible vaccinated Kentucky adults to get one of the three COVID-19 vaccination boosters – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – to bolster their immunity and help bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end.

Others who spoke at the memorial included Dr. Philip Overall from St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead; Jamar Wattley, PRN, RN, at Baptist Health La Grange; and Jacqueline Woodward, who lost her husband, Gary Woodward, to COVID-19.

“Together we gave everything that we had for the men, women and children of the commonwealth. Together we held their hands, prayed with them, gave them hope and worked tirelessly to give them the best care possible. Even during the darkest days of this pandemic, even during the peak of the surges – we stayed together,” said Dr. Overall. “Let us remember that it is that unity that will see this through and find us united as we work to put this battle behind us.”

“We are here to remember the 10,000 Kentuckians that have succumbed to COVID. As a nurse, these numbers have meaning to me. These numbers represent the people I have cared for and the memories I have with them,” said Wattley. “Let this memorial symbolize a time when we had fear and uncertainty we all faced together – but better yet – let this memorial honor the bravery displayed by the fallen.”

“Today is a bittersweet day as we come together to honor the memory of all of those who lost their loved one to COVID-19. Ten thousand. How overwhelming a number and how devastating a time it has been for so many. I have endured the greatest tragedy of my lifetime because my husband of 45 years, Gary, is no longer at my side,” said Jacqueline Woodward. “The heartache, pain and the grief is beyond what words can explain. I am here today not only for my family and me but also for all the families that have lost loved ones across the state of Kentucky."

Beshear said health care partners including Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, King’s Daughters Health System, UofL Health, UK Healthcare and Pikeville Medical Center are sponsoring the new monument, which also is supported by donations to the Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial Fund. All donations are tax-deductible.