COVID lives lost honored at NJ memorial in annual ceremony

💛 Honoring COVID lives lost
💛 NJ memorial hosts ceremony
💛 Landmarks light yellow in support

WALL TOWNSHIP – Since its start with shells on the beach, the Rami’s Heart COVID-19 Memorial has become a refuge for grieving loved ones from Monmouth County and far beyond.

Co-founder Rima Samman-Whitaker says what began as a way to remember her brother, Rami, on his birthday after his death from COVID-19, has grown into a close-knit community that gathers each March.

On Saturday, March 15, five years since the first known New Jersey death due to the COVID pandemic, the memorial will host its annual remembrance lighting and ceremony.

In 2020 alone, there were at least 16,494 deaths due to COVID in New Jersey.

There have now been well over a million deaths related to COVID in the United States.

On Saturday, a candlelight vigil starting at 6 p.m. will bring together hundreds of grieving families, supporters and community members to honor lives lost to COVID-19.

As a symbol of solidarity, 35 bridges and monumental buildings across the country, including Niagara Falls, will be lit up in yellow.

The event will include a speech by Belmar Mayor Gerald Buccafusco, with messages expected to be sent by U.S. Senator Cory Booker, U.S. Senator Andy Kim and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, D-11.

"The last five years have been filled with unimaginable loss and heartbreak, leaving many of us grappling with disenfranchised grief. Our mission is to provide acknowledgment and create a space where those we’ve lost are remembered not as statistics but as cherished individuals,"
Samman-Whitaker said.

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