A nationwide lighting ceremony will honor COVID-19 victims at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Gov. Laura Kelly has announced that Kansas will participate in this memorial to honor lives lost to COVID-19.
The Presidential Inauguration Committee is the host of the memorial, and cities and towns across America are invited to participate in the effort. In Washington, D.C., there will be lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to honor lives lost to COVID-19.
In Kansas, all the Statehouse interior lights will be turned on Tuesday afternoon to honor COVID-19 victims.
“The past 10 months have been filled with tragedy and loss for so many Kansans – and I offer my deepest sympathies to those who have lost friends, family members, or loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “As we light the Kansas Statehouse, we will honor their memories and recommit ourselves to preventing further deaths by doing our part to slow the spread of the virus and ensure every Kansan is vaccinated.”
The widespread lighting event was initially planned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee for President-elect Joe Biden. Tuesday evening, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be lit to memorialize American lives lost to COVID-19.
The Inaugural Committee invites states and communities across the nation to participate by lighting up buildings and ringing church bells at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to participate in this national moment of unity and remembrance.
“I encourage all cities and counties in Kansas to join in and light up Courthouses, City Halls, or other buildings Tuesday evening,” Gov. Kelly said. “Let us all use this opportunity to unite as Kansans and as Americans and remember those we have lost.”