WACO, Texas — Victims of COVID-19 in Waco and McLennan County were remembered during a ceremony on Sunday.
The Bridge of Souls: Ceremony of Remembrance was held in Indian Spring Park. The main attraction of the ceremony was an art exhibit with hundreds of banners hanging that represented the more than 600 death victims of COVID-19 in McLennan County.
Local artists all got to work and created these banners that helped to illustrate who these victims were and the personalities they had. Many even had hand-written messages from loved ones.
One artist, Russell Campbell says it was an honor to be a part of a project like this.
“Hopefully when people who these actually represent who have lost loved ones see it, they are struck by it, hopefully its a good representation of the lives they lived," he said.
Local leaders praised health care workers and first responders.
“It’s been a hard year as a family," Mayor Dillon Meek said of the city. "It’s been a tragic year for many members of our family as they have mourned close loved ones that they’ve lost.”
Meek was one of many leaders who spoke at the ceremony. Another was public health director Lashonda Malrey-Horne. She tearfully addressed the crowd and asked that they be vigilant against COVID-19 and continue to follow safety protocols.
“Wear a mask when out in large crowds, if you get sick, get tested and stay at home until you’re well and lastly, if you haven’t been vaccinated please consider getting vaccinated."
Mayor Meek left the crowd with positivity for the future.
“I am reminded that in Waco, hope remains because people in this community are good and they care for one another.”