The
celebration of life will comprise 15
funeral processions driving a
dedicated route on Belle Isle and is
the nation’s first citywide memorial
to honor pandemic victims. (Photo by
HB Meeks/Tell Us USA News Network)
Family
members
gather
to
celebrate
the life
of
Detroiter
Altoria
Donelson
who
passed
this
year
from
COVID-19.
She was
one of
over
1,500
city
residents
honored
during
Detroit
Memorial
Drive on
Belle
Isle on
Monday
August
31,
2020.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us USA
News
Network)
Detroit
Memorial
Drive On
Belle
Isle to
Honor
COVID-19
Victims
• 15
funeral
processions
with the
families
of the
deceased
will
drive
around
Belle
Isle to
honor
the
City’s
1,500
COVID-19
victims
•
WRCJ
90.9
radio
will
offer
the
soundtrack
for the
memorial
as well
as live
coverage
and
remarks
by
dignitaries
•
Residents
and
businesses
across
the City
are
encouraged
to ring
bells at
8:45
a.m.
Monday
morning
in
memory
of
residents
and as a
show of
solidarity
for
those
grieving
DETROIT
- Mayor
Mike
Duggan
will
join
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer
and Lt.
Gov.
Garlin
Gilchrist
to offer
remarks
to begin
the
Detroit
Memorial
Drive on
Belle
Isle to
honor
COVID-19
Victims
on what
is now
the
official
Detroit
Memorial
Day. The
celebration
of life
will
comprise
15
funeral
processions
driving
a
dedicated
route on
Belle
Isle and
is the
nation’s
first
citywide
memorial
to honor
pandemic
victims.
“Members
of this
community
are
grieving,
it is
important
and
necessary
to
provide
an
opportunity
for
families
to
celebrate
those
lost to
this
terrible
disease
and
begin to
heal,”
said
Mayor
Duggan.
“We are
taking
this
time to
reflect
on what
has been
a very
hard
time for
so many
Detroiters
and
commemorate
the
lives of
our
neighbors
who are
no
longer
with
us.”
“As
we
remember
and
honor
all of
those we
have
lost to
this
virus,
we must
not
forget
that
COVID-19
is still
very
present
in our
state,”
Governor
Whitmer
said.
“Each
life
lost was
a person
who had
a story:
plans,
dreams,
and more
life to
live. We
must all
work
together
to slow
the
spread
of this
virus
and
prevent
more
devastation
in our
communities.
We owe
it to
our
families,
our
neighbors,
the
frontline
workers,
and to
our
fellow
Michiganders
to
continue
taking
this
virus
seriously.”
Other
speakers
will
include:
Ford
Motor
Company
Fund
Director
Pamela
Alexander,
TCF
Financial
Chairman
Gary
Torgow
and
United
Way for
Southeastern
Michigan
CEO
Darienne
Driver.
The Ford
Motor
Fund is
the
Presenting
Sponsor
of the
drive.
TCF Bank
and
United
Way are
the
Memorial
Repast
sponsors
providing
dinner
to
families
after
the
memorial.
Mourners
will
drive
past
nearly
900
billboard-sized
photos
of loved
ones.
The
photos
represent
a
majority
of the
1,500
Detroiters
lost to
the
virus
between
March
and
August
18.
Families
have
been
assigned
to one
of 15
funeral
processions,
all led
by
hearses
generously
supplied
and
driven
by area
funeral
homes.
Members
of the
Belle
Isle
Conservancy,
wearing
white
gloves
and
bright
smiles,
will
greet
families
as they
enter
the
Island
and give
them
roses.
WRCJ
90.9
radio
will
offer
live
coverage
of the
press
conference
and
offer
classical,
jazz and
gospel
music
all day.
The
entire
city has
been
asked to
tune to
90.9
Monday.
Monday’s
memorial
processions
are
strictly
for
families
who have
pre-registered
to
participate.
The
Memorial
will be
open to
the
public
on
Tuesday
and
Wednesday
Sept 1.
and
Sept. 2,
the
public
is
encouraged
not to
touch
the
photos.
There
will be
absolutely
no
stopping
during
the
processions.
Families
that
would
like to
place
flowers
at the
pictures
of their
loved
ones are
asked to
do so
during
the
public
viewings
on
Tuesday,
Sept. 1
or
Wednesday,
Sept. 2.
The City
of
Detroit
will
gift the
photo
billboards
to
families
who do
not stop
during
the
memorial
on
Friday
September
4.
Families
will be
able to
pick
them up
at the
Aretha
Franklin
Amphitheatre
parking
lot at
Atwater
and
Dubois
from
noon
until 6
p.m.
Friday.
Families
should
ensure
that
they
have
room for
a 4 x
4-foot
billboard
in their
vehicles.
Citywide
Ringing
of Bells
Following
official
remarks
at the
start of
the
memorial
drive,
residents
and
businesses
across
the City
are
encouraged
to ring
bells at
8:45
a.m. in
memory
of lost
loved
ones and
as a
show of
support
for
those
grieving.
"We are
planning
to have
bells
ringing
from the
Comerica
Park
scoreboard
on
Monday
for 15
minutes
beginning
at 8:45.
a.m.,"
said
Ellen
Hill
Zeringue,
vice
president
of
marketing
for the
Detroit
Tigers.
Little
Caesar's
Arena
also
will
feature
a
message
on its
marquee.
We stand
with the
families
who have
lost
loved
ones to
the
COVID-19
pandemic.”
In
recognition
of our
families,
several
restaurants
are
offering
Memorial
repasts
or
dinners.
Families
can
pre-order
dinner
until
Sunday
at noon
and
after
Tuesday.
The $80
voucher
that
each
family
will get
expires
on
Sunday,
September
6.
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