Excerpted from Voice of OC
By Omar Sanchez
More than 5,000 candles were lit Friday night vigil in the first memorial sponsored by county government to residents who died from Coronavirus.
Cutouts of doves imprinted with the message “Forever loved forever missed” were placed around the lake behind the Costa Mesa Avenue of the Arts Hotel in the 7:30 p.m. gathering with more than 50 attendees.
Some people who came carried with them photos and flowers in honor of loved ones who died of the virus. Violinist Richard Adkins and Violette Remington sang to open and close the ceremony.
[...]
Memorial speakers included Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the OC Health Care Agency; Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine); John Stephens, Costa Mesa Mayor; Farrah Kahn, Irvine Mayor; Kim Carr, Huntington Beach Mayor; Tiffany Ackley, Aliso Viejo Mayor; Mike Ramirez, United Food and Commercial Workers (Local 324); Susan Johnson, Health Ministries and Nursing Outreach (Hoag); Walter Muneton, social worker and vice president of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education; Julie Robles, Orange County Sheriff’s Department; Tim Taber, local business owner.