‘ALL WE HAVE IS MEMORIES’
10 Arizona mayors declare COVID-19 Memorial Day
Some people know Kristin Urquiza as the woman who condemned President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Others know her from the obituary she wrote for her father who died from COVID-19 that went viral.
But Tolleson City Council members and city staff know her as just one of the members of the beloved Urquiza family.
Tolleson is a small, 6-square mile city west of downtown Phoenix, with some 7,000 residents.
It’s a tight-knit community where families stay for generations and neighbors sometimes grow up together.
The Urquizas have deep roots in the city, and council members mourned
the loss of 65-year-old Mark Urquiza, who died from COVID-19 last June.
So when Urquiza and Arizona resident Tara Krebbs came to the city on behalf of the organization the Urquiza family has formed, Marked By COVID, asking Mayor Juan Rodriguez to proclaim March 1 COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day, the city didn’t hesitate.
“We all knew Mr. Urquiza very well. We all grew up with them,” City Manager Reyes Medrano said. “The Urquizas always brought great joy to any event. I used to work with (Mark’s) brother at the county, and every day was an absolute riot because the Urquizas are hilarious people. Good people.”
The day is intended to memorialize those who have died from COVID-19 as well as those who have survived or lost loved ones to the disease. Nearly 16,000 Arizonans have died from COVID-19 to date.
Coming together to heal
Mayor Rodriguez is not the only one offering a proclamation. Mayors across Arizona are coming together to declare March 1 COVID-19 Memorial Day.
Some mayors, such as those from Flagstaff, Tempe and Fountain Hills, also have joined an effort from Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., to recognize March 1 nationally.
Urquiza said she was delighted to see cities come together to begin the healing process, but that this was just the start. Urquiza hopes to some day see a physical memorial to those impacted by COVID-19 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Here’s a list of many of the Valley cities participating in COVID-19 Memorial Day:
● Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn
● Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke
● Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers
● Litchfield Park Mayor Thomas Schoaf
● Mesa Mayor John Giles
● Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego
● Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega
● Surprise Mayor Skip Hall
● Tempe Mayor Corey Woods
● Tolleson Mayor Juan Rodriguez
Memorials around the Valley
Marked By COVID hosted a memorial at the Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park on Monday.
The Floral Heart Project arranged a 4foot floral garland in the shape of a heart.
A visual art display showcases the number of Arizonans who have died from COVID-19, which to date exceeds 15,0000 people.
The Arizona Heritage Center is at 1300 N. College Ave.
City staff in Tolleson will display 365 white flags along the city’s central plaza between 91st and 94th avenues on Van Buren Street to commemorate one year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city invites residents to pick up flags at Tolleson Public Library, 9555 W. Van Buren St., write the names of a victim or survivor of COVID-19, and display them in their lawns.
“As we continue to navigate through this pandemic and its aftereffects, it is important for us to remember loved ones we have lost, the family they leave behind and the individuals that are suffering lasting impacts of COVID,” Rodriguez said. “Declaring March 1st as COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day is one way we will begin to remember these individuals.”