On this day, millions have died from COVID-19 and it’s variants, or have been infected. For those who have perished, for those who have lost a loved-one, for those who have recovered, and for those who courageously and selflessly served during the darkest and most uncertain days of the pandemic, we announce a competition to design a COVID-19 Monument of Honor, Remembrance, & Resilience sponsored by the Hektoen Institute of Medicine.  

This Monument will be a physical sculpture or installation that addresses and symbolizes the myriad issues and emotions encountered by citizens throughout the world as they navigated the most powerful scourge and tragedy of our time.  No other event in the past two centuries touched everyone as did the COVID-19 pandemic.  Whether by death, illness, grief, or at best, lock-down, the pandemic left no one unscathed.  This universal event respected no boundaries and did not discriminate by age, gender, religion, or nationality. As this pandemic excluded no one, our Monument is unequivocally inclusive and will embrace the sentiments of all citizens throughout the world.

Our hope is that we will conquer this virus, and the pandemic will be history—a distant memory.  But lest we forget, it is critical that we come together to reflect, and to honor those who fought on the front lines, those brave souls who ensured our survival.  They are the nurses, doctors, health care workers, the public service sector employees, airline personnel, those who rang up our groceries and medicines, delivered our packages, prepared our to-go meals, drove our buses, and many more.  They all encountered significant risks dealing with an unknown illness. The Monument will honor these individuals and allow those who lost loved ones to mourn and know they are not alone.  The monument will educate and enlighten with the wisdom and experience we have shared.

Additionally, the Monument will celebrate resilience and victory. The discovery and distribution of the vaccine, engendered by multiple agencies, effectively saved millions of lives.  This triumph of science in the COVID-19 vaccine and concomitant testing advances must be lauded and serve as a reminder of hope in the face of intense adversity and obstacles.