When
Twenty-eight hundred white flags – one for every 10 Arizonans who died due to COVID-19 – will be displayed on the University of Arizona Mall as part of a commemoration marking two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Day of Memory, Healing and Hope – Reflecting on COVID-19" will take place on March 23.
The event, hosted by the University Religious Council, will consist of two ceremonies – one at 9 a.m. and one at 1 p.m. University President Robert C. Robbins will speak at the morning ceremony; Liesl Folks, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, will speak in the afternoon. American Sign Language interpretation will be provided.
"It is meant to be a day for remembering what has been lost since the pandemic began, a time of healing for those who have suffered a loss, and a message of hope for all of us as we move forward," said Lynn Hourani, president of the University Religious Council and ethnographic researcher at the Southwest Folklife Alliance. "We can come together in prayer and music to help us heal from the tragedy of the past two solemn years, and we hope that this memorial will help the University community because grieving together brings healing."
The program will include music, reflections, stories and refreshments. Students, staff, faculty and community members are invited to write memorial messages on the white flags.
For questions and more information contact Denise TrimbleSmith at dtrimblesmith@arizona.edu.