CLEVELAND — Downtown Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods will be lit up with an amber color Tuesday evening for a northeast Ohio COVID-19 Day of Remembrance, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials announced.
What You Need To Know
- The day of remembrance is being organized by pastors in northeast Ohio
- Downtown, bridges and surrounding neighborhoods will be lit up amber
- A moment of silence to honor victims of the pandemic is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The March 15 commemoration comes roughly two years after the pandemic disrupted our way of life.
On Monday, the event got support from Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish.
“Tuesday, March 15, 2022, will be a day to reflect on those who we have lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to uplift those that have recovered from the virus along with our first responders and essential workers,” a release from the city of Cleveland said.
A group of pastors announced the day of remembrance earlier in the month, and have planned several components for the day.
The faith leaders asked all religious institutions to open their doors at 12 p.m. for prayer with candles. At 6 p.m., they are asking for a moment of silence for one minute in homes, churches, businesses, schools and hospitals.
The release from the city said downtown Cleveland, bridges and surrounding neighborhoods will be lit up with the amber color starting at 6 p.m. to “show solidarity to the city's comeback and recognize those we have lost due to the pandemic.”
A lead organizer, pastor Larry Macon Sr., president of the United Pastors in Mission of Greater Cleveland, said that many in the region are still grieving and have struggled to process their losses, he told Spectrum News Monday.
Macon said Cleveland Metro Schools and the three major hospitals in Cleveland are participating in the day of remembrance. The mayors of Bedford Heights and Oakwood Village are creating proclamations to mark the day in honor of residents who have died of COVID-19, he said.
“We felt that we should celebrate the people who have survived, and we should memorialize, if you will, or have a day of remembrance, for those who have passed on, and for their families, because they could not grieve during the past two years because there were all kinds of restrictions on assembly and funerals,” Macon said.
The organizers are encouraging schools, community centers, government agencies and businesses to display in their facilities on Tuesday the names of individuals who have been affected by the virus.
At 7 p.m., there will be a collective service at the Cleveland Music Hall “to help families that are grieving and to grieve with them, and to show that not only do we grieve, but we also come back, and that we are a resilient city,” Macon said.
There will be a livestream on Cleveland’s government access channel, TV20.