Chicago skyscrapers went dark Tuesday night during the national COVID-19 memorial service, according to the mayor's office.
The City of Chicago partneringed with the incoming Biden-Harris Administration to host the virtual Brighter Together COVID-19 Memorial Service Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Residents and business across the city were invited to turn off lights and electronics, step out onto a driveway or balcony and light a candle in silence to observe the lives lost to the coronavirus, city officials said.
These are some iconic Chicago buildings that participated:
- City Hall: plans to turn off lights, then relight with amber lighting
- Wrigley Field: plans to turn off the marquee and exterior signage, then relight with #brightertogether message
- Solider Field: plans to light up the colonnade amber and display candle images
- Navy Pier: plans to turn off Ferris wheel, then light up an amber color with #brightertogether message
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Building: plans to create the shape of a candle on the building's façade
- The Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (theMART, Willis Tower, One Prudential Plaza, others): plans to go dark before lighting an amber color resembling a flame
- Chicago Public Library Branches: those open past 6 p.m. plans to encourage staff to step outside and light candles
- Churches and places of worship: plans to ring bells in observation
Following the blackout at 6:10 p.m., the service asked that people turn lights back on so symbolize moving from darkness to light.
Local
"At this time, businesses, cultural centers, organizations and individual homes across the city will turn on their lights effectively 'lighting up' the city," a release said. "Participating institutions will light their buildings an amber color or display an image of a candle in solidarity with the national memorial and cities and towns across the country."
As of Tuesday, 18,291 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in Illinois, with 1,076,532 total cases confirmed statewide. As of Monday night, 3,335 patients in Illinois were hospitalized due to coronavirus. Of those patients, 713 were in intensive care units, while 395 were on ventilators.
