By CBS 17 Digital Desk | January 18, 2021 at 3:53 PM EST – Updated January 18 at 3:53 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Executive Mansion will be illuminated in remembrance of the lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Monday that the mansion will be lit up on Jan. 19 starting at 5:30 p.m.
The governor says he is encouraging counties and municipalities across the state to join in this memorial by lighting buildings and ringing bells at churches and houses of worship.
“In the midst of the battle against this pandemic, we continue to mourn the hundreds of thousands of Americans we have lost and send our prayers to the grieving families and friends they leave behind,” Cooper said. “Please join me in honoring their memories by taking responsible actions to prevent more deaths by wearing a mask, keeping our distance and being smart.”
The call for memorial on Jan. 19 was begun by the Presidential Inaugural Committee in an effort to find unity in a nationwide tribute honoring the lives taken by the pandemic.
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