Wearing Yellow for Remembrance, COVID Long-Haulers and Families of Those Who Died from COVID to Take 615,000 Steps for Every Person Killed
As They Continue to Struggle with Lasting Impact of COVID, Survivors and Long-Haulers Hold Dozens of Marches Across the Country Calling for Support
New York, NY – On Saturday, August 7th, hundreds of COVID survivors who are part of the COVID Survivors for Change nationwide network will join with co-sponsors Yellow Heart Memorial and Faces of COVID Victims to march across the Brooklyn Bridge to remember those who’ve died from COVID and urge lawmakers to take action to support the ongoing needs of survivors. They aim to take at least 615,000 steps – one step for every person killed.
This flagship march is part of the largest nationwide day of awareness and action for COVID survivors. All across the country on August 7th, COVID survivors will wear yellow – the color of COVID remembrance – and safely hold dozens of marches and gatherings. As the number of COVID cases continues to rise, they’re asking elected officials to strengthen prevention measures to end the pandemic, prioritize COVID survivors for relief resources, improve health and mental health care for long-haulers and surviving children, memorialize those who died, and form a non-partisan commission to ensure this never happens again.
WHAT: Hundreds of COVID survivors march across Brooklyn Bridge to raise awareness & call for action
WHEN: Saturday, August 7, 2021 – march at 11am, speaking program at 1pm
WHERE:
- Survivors gather to march at 11am at Cadman Plaza Park, North Lawn (between Cadman Plaza W and Cadman Plaza E, Brooklyn, NY 11201)
- March concludes with rally and remarks at 1pm at City Hall Park (East side near Park Row, New York, NY 10007)
WHO: Families whose loved ones died from COVID, COVID long-haulers, survivor and COVID organizations
- Rosie Davis (TX), founder of the Yellow Heart Memorial whose mother Mary died from COVID in a nursing home in Irving
- Hannah Ernst (NJ), 15-year-old founder of Faces of COVID Victims who had planned to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with her grandfather before he died from COVID-19
- Chris Kocher (Queens, NY), executive director of COVID Survivors for Change
- Nick Guthe (CA), writer and director whose wife Heidi Ferrer died by suicide after struggling with debilitating long-haul COVID symptoms
- Diana Berrent, founder of Survivor Corps
- Seventeen supporting organizations, including COVID-19 Long-Haulers Outreach, COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project, Covid-19 Loss Support for Family & Friends, COVID Survivors from Texas, Covid Wellness Clinic, Faith & Grief, Long Covid Kids HQ Global USA, Inlovingmemory19, Long Covid Support, MakeGoodTogether, MaskTogetherAmerica, Pandemic of Love, PolyBio Research Foundation, Solve M.E., Survivor Corps, Young Widows and Widowers of Covid-19
VISUALS: Large group of COVID survivors wearing yellow clothing and yellow hearts, holding signs and photos of lost loved ones
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE: With COVID survivors and leaders from COVID Survivors for Change, Yellow Heart Memorial, Faces of COVID Victims, and other groups
ABOUT COVID SURVIVORS FOR CHANGE
COVID Survivors for Change is a national, non-partisan movement bringing together Americans who have lost a loved one to COVID-19, as well as those who have survived the virus and those whose lives have been dramatically altered by the pandemic. As part of COVID Survivors for Change, Americans are mobilizing to make sure that communities have the funding, resources and leadership in place to address future public health emergencies. Survivors will also find community and healing in meeting other people whose lives have been forever changed by the pandemic. For more information, please visit: COVIDsurvivorsforchange.org.
ABOUT YELLOW HEART MEMORIAL
The Yellow Heart Memorial is a national, grassroots memorial whose mission is to humanize every person who has died from COVID with a name and a face on a yellow heart, which is a symbol of covid. The Yellow Heart Memorial was founded by Rosie Davis, who held the first Yellow Heart Memorial in her backyard after losing her mother Mary Castro to Covid. From there the memorial came to life at the Irving Archives Museum in Texas with over 200 portraits from Faces of Covid Victims and 2,000 hearts with names from all over the world displayed. Since then, the Yellow Heart Memorial has grown to 8 state chapters, with Memorials in more than 10 states and 3 countries and growing every day, most recently by launching Healing Hearts to recognize Long Haulers. The Yellow Heart Memorial is working with cities for permanent memorials across the United States and has already had 3 approved.
ABOUT FACES OF COVID VICTIMS
Faces of Covid Victims is an international initiative created in August of 2020 by 16 year-old Hannah Ernst upon losing her grandfather, Cal Schoenfeld, to Covid-19. The project works to memorialize those lost to the pandemic by creating their portraits displayed in front of a yellow heart, the symbol of Covid-19. FOCV’s goal is to differentiate the victims who are blurred into the heartbreaking death toll, reminding the world that these were loved ones, not numbers. To date, she has been able to create over 2,000 memorials that work to honor, remember, and pay tribute to those who have passed away. For more information, please contact Faces of Covid Victims on Facebook:
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