Gov. Beshear to dedicate permanent COVID Memorial on Capitol grounds

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KFVS) - A permanent COVID Memorial will be dedicated on the grounds of the Kentucky State Capitol on Wednesday, May 24.

Governor Andy Beshear, First Lady Britainy Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman will join state and local officials, along with several Kentucky families, for the dedication.

The dedication will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to a release from the governor’s office, the memorial, titled “United We Stand. Divided We Fall,” was designed and sculpted by Kentucky native Amanda Matthews.

“This phenomenal new memorial honors the 18,653 Kentuckians lost during this once-a-century pandemic,” Governor Beshear said in the release. “It will stand in a place of prominence in the Capitol Monument Park for generations to come so that they might learn about the great challenges we faced and how Kentuckians came together during this crisis.”

The memorial features ADA-accessibility design, including visual, audible and tactile. Green lights, symbolizing empathy and compassion for the Kentuckians lost throughout the pandemic, encircle the center of the monument, and white lights shine through the night until sunrise each morning.

According to the governor’s office, the primary donors to the Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial Fund are Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, King’s Daughters Health System, UofL Health, University of Kentucky and Pikeville Medical Center. Numerous private donations rounded out the funding and no tax dollars were used.