Still-Growing Memorial At Edina City Hall Remembers Those Lost To COVID-19
EDINA, Minn. (WCCO) -- If you've driven by Edina City Hall, you may have noticed yellow hearts on the windows. Each heart represents a life lost to COVID-19. Staff added six more just last month.
The rows of yellow hearts line the windows on the back of City Hall, along Eden Avenue.
"I honestly just drove past them, but didn't know what they meant," Kristin Heelan said.
Heelan is like many who have passed the memorial, now moved after learning each heart tells a story, representing someone in Edina who died from COVID-19.
"It's love, right, people have lost their family members, it will stick with them forever," Heelan said.
The city wanted a place to honor those lost during the pandemic, a way to signal to the community the impact it's having at home.
"It is an awareness piece, and we do want people in Edina to know if they're driving by City Hall, and they see the hearts are going up more and more, that means more lives are being lost, and more people are being affected," Dan Reisig with the city said.
The city started adding the hearts when there were 50, that number has grown to 119. They represent people who were living in long-term care facilities and private residences, ranging in age from around 50 to 100. They are friends, neighbors, and family members.
"These are people who matter, and they may be nameless, but they made an impact on many people on a day-to-day basis," Reisig said.
A reminder to reflect, and to remember.
"I feel like now when we're starting to move past it, and you look back at the history of the last two years, it's something we should continue to think about," Heelan said.
A second memorial wall was created at Southdale Center.
The city shares COVID-19 case data, and resources online. Click here to learn more.