Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Memorials Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monterey County unveils COVID‑19 Memorial Garden honoring nearly 940 residents; donors and health leaders recognized
Summary
County leaders, health officials and family members dedicated a COVID‑19 Memorial Garden at the Monterey County government center. Supervisor Luis Alejo led the ceremony; presenters said the memorial raised almost $400,000 and provides a virtual donor and memorial wall for families to add names.
Monterey County officials on March 10 dedicated a permanent COVID‑19 Memorial Garden at the county government center to honor residents lost to the pandemic and to recognize frontline workers and donors.
Supervisor Luis Alejo introduced the garden as a place “for reflection, healing and remembrance,” and said that Monterey County lost “940 to be exact” residents during the pandemic. Nick Pascoli, the county public information officer, said the community raised nearly $400,000 for the project and urged continued contributions to support upkeep through the Community Foundation for Monterey County.
Health leaders described the county’s pandemic response and the role of community outreach. Natividad Hospital CEO Charles Harris recounted early memorial events and praised the community’s perseverance. County Health Director Elsa Jimenez said Monterey County recorded more than 120,000 confirmed COVID‑19 cases and emphasized the disproportionate effect on essential agricultural workers and on Hispanic and Latino households; she highlighted the county’s 84% vaccination rate and the VITA (Virus Integrated Distribution of Aid) initiative that deployed more than 100 multilingual community health workers.
Representatives from the Community Foundation, Salinas Valley Health and other partner organizations described grant distributions and roles in mass vaccination and outreach. Project manager Nancy Ayala and the artist team (Shelby and Taylor Hawthorne) were recognized for delivering the design and construction. Family members of people who died spoke at the ceremony and shared memories of loved ones; several described the emotional impact of being unable to be with relatives when they died.
The board recognized a broad list of donors and partners, including media, health centers, the Community Foundation, Taylor Fresh Foods and local Rotary clubs. The county launched a memorial web page and a virtual donor and memorial wall; staff said family members can submit names online to be remembered on the virtual wall. The ceremony closed with a dove release and an invitation for families to visit the garden at the county campus.
