Call to service, lights and bells to honor Covid victims and mark Inauguration week in Sacramento
Mayor Steinberg talks to a Sacramento resident in a recent drive-through food distribution by the Sacramento Food Bank.
As part of the many activities in the next week highlighting unity and service, Sacramento will join the rest of the nation by illuminating buildings, lighting candles and ringing bells in honor of those who have lost their lives to Covid-19. Mayor Darrell Steinberg and members of the City Council are also calling on Sacramentans to volunteer their time over the next 30 days as part of a national call to service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – starting Monday January 18.
On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the Presidential Inauguration Committee has invited cities around the nation to light their civic facilities and ring bells at 5:30 ET in a show of unity and remembrance. In Sacramento, the bells will ring at Memorial Auditorium at 2:30 p.m. to coincide with the ringing of bells in houses of worship on the East Coast.
Mayor Steinberg Friday called on Sacramento places of worship to join in as well.
“Let’s fill the air with the sound of bells to remember the beautiful lives of our loved ones,” Mayor Steinberg said. “It will be a unified sound of hope for a new day in our country where we refocus our energy on loving our neighbors and trying to help and protect them.”
City buildings, bridges and tunnels will be illuminated the evening of Jan. 19 to remember all those who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic. These will include the lights on the Memorial Auditorium, Capitol Mall, the K Street Tunnel, Sacramento City College pedestrian bridge, the Richards / I-5 underpass and the McKinley underpass.
In Washington, D.C., a lighting ceremony is planned for 5:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. PT) around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Sacramento residents can participate at home by lighting candles at 2:30 p.m. to coincide with the national and local events.
A national day of service on MLK day is also being planned as part of the lead up to the inauguration on Jan. 20. Because of concerns about any mass gathering during the pandemic, the Mayor and members of the Council are instead urging people here to commit to becoming a volunteer over the next 30 days with an essential organization that follows Covid-19 safety practices.
“More than ever, people in our community are hurting and need our help,” said Vice Mayor Jay Schenirer. “The pandemic has been an inconvenience for some and devastating for others. Let’s spend the extra time we have these days helping others.”
With the seniors who often volunteer at higher risk for Covid, some non-profits are experiencing a shortage of volunteers and need new people to come out.
Mayor Pro Tem Angelique Ashby noted that there are many ways to volunteer, and the City website offers lots of options. “You can prune roses in McKinley Park, join my youth action corps, foster a pet or help at a food bank distribution,” Ashby said.
Here is a list of volunteer opportunities that meet the criteria: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/HR/Volunteer-Opportunities/Short-Term-Opportunities
