Lexington candle memorial honors people who died from COVID-19

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Friday, Mayor Linda Gorton and a group of faith leaders prayed over a new candle memorial downtown honoring those in the county that have died related to COVID-19.

The display is in the window of the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center with a candle representing each person who has died.

Friday, there were 109 lives represented.

“It’s something people gotta realize this is no joke, it can take you in a minute you know,” Eloris Young said.

Eloris Young lost her sister, Charlotte Daniels, to COVID-19 a moth and a half ago. Young says the day after they buried Daniels, her half-sister died.

“To my sisters I miss you and I love you and I wish you was [sic] here but God knows best,” she said.

Young also tested positive for COVID-19, now as a survivor and someone who is grieving, Young says she hopes the lights stand as a reminder of life and the seriousness of the virus.

Unfortunately the memorial will continue to grow, likely until there’s a COVID-19 vaccine. And for Celeste Lewis, the manager of Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, she will have to be one of the people to continually add to the display, one death at a time.

“It’s very sad, it really gave me a little stomach flip that we would be adding candles frequently,” Lewis said.
And still, like the outside of the center says, Lewis hopes people can understand “Art helps heal us.”

The Arts Center is closed to indoor visitors but you can see the candles lit up from 5 p.m. to midnight each night from outside.

The “In Remembrance” display also has an online initiative too.

People can submit words of condolences or memories from those they lost and they will be posted online and on social media through the Mayor’s Office. The email to be included in this project is  inremembrance@lexingtonky.gov 

Mayor Gorton introducing a new memorial downtown. To date, 109 people in Fayette County have died from Coronavirus. She’s joined by several different faith leaders. @ABC36News pic.twitter.com/zciUoZfGwY

— Monica Harkins ABC 36 (@MonicaHarkinstv) November 20, 2020