Church bells rang out across Augusta at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday as the city took part in a remembrance ceremony for those who lost their lives to COVID-19.
Augusta’s virtual ceremony coincided with an event in Washington, D.C., with President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris at the Lincoln Memorial.
More than 11,000 Georgians and about 300 Richmond and Columbia County residents have lost their lives to COVID-19, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis and members of the Good Trouble Coalition took to Facebook Live to hold a virtual ceremony around 5:15 p.m.
The Rev. Dante Stewart opened with a prayer, and there was a moment of silence.
Not only was the event a remembrance, it was a call to unity in the face of the pandemic.
Then, Davis reflected on 2020 and the year behind the mask. He also delivered words to encourage city residents to see that although the pandemic brought an array of challenges, there were some positive things that happened in Augusta.
“We were able to lay down the weapons of division in most instances because it caused us to be one Augusta, it called for us to be a community of kindness, a community of compassion. It called for us to look behind the faults of one another and simply see needs. We found ourselves at a place in 2020 of where we were behind the mask. We were behind the mask, and while we couldn’t see each other’s faces it was always clear when a smile began to raise cheeks and for eyes to be widened,” he said.
[adrotate banner=”32″]
At 5:30, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Church of the Good Shepherd, Church of the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church rang their bells to remember while the video feed cut to Washington, D.C., where 400 luminarias lined the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Gayla Keesee, co-facilitator of the Augusta event, said people could join in the observance by illuminating their homes or businesses in amber.
Not only was the ceremony important to remember those who’ve lost their lives but also those who fight against COVID-19 on a daily basis.
“We wanted to be a part of this because we are a medical community. We want to recognize how important our health care workers are and their families,” she said.
Keesee said she’d like to see another type of event such as a walk-through where people could see not only the names of those who’ve lost their lives in this community, but their photographs.
“These are people not just names,” she said.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
[adrotate banner=”32″]
