The City of Detroit is seeking photos of those who lost their lives to the coronavirus to display as part of a city memorial event.
Detroit will host Detroit Memorial Day on August 31 to honor city residents who died because of COVID-19, Mayor Mike Duggan announced earlier this month. The city plans to install large photo boards with the submitted pictures along a route on Belle Isle.
The two-day event will begin with twilight ceremonies at 5 p.m. on August 30 across Detroit. The memorial drive will begin the next day at 7 a.m. Residents across southeast Michigan will also be invited to ring bells for 15 minutes to honor those who lost their lives because of the pandemic. The bell ringing will begin at 8:45 a.m. on August 31.
Cars will not be allowed to stop or park while driving through the memorial. Belle Isle closes at 4 p.m.
The memorial event will also commemorate front line health care and “people care” workers.
The City of Detroit has seen 12,449 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 1,476 deaths, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan as a whole has seen more than 78,500 confirmed cases and 6,154 deaths. More than 57,500 people are considered recovered.
Residents have until July 31 to submit their photos. They can submit them through email at [email protected] or by mail at Detroit Memorial 2020, P.O. Box 21761, Detroit, MI 48221, Cc: Rochelle Riley. They can also be submitted online through the submission form.
The City Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship said it will continue to collect photos of Detroit residents killed by the coronavirus after July 31 to be honored at a later date.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Image “Mayor Mike Duggan” by Mayor Mike Duggan and “Belle Isle Bridge” by Joseph Novak CC2.0.
