TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — 310 crosses are placed on the front lawn of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee. Each cross represents a person in Leon County who died from COVID-19.
Sunday marked one year since the first COVID-19 related death in the county. The church held a memorial service for those who didn't get the chance to get vaccinated.
Linda Edwards has received the vaccine. She credits the Statewide Coronavirus Vaccination Community Education and Engagement Taskforce led by Rev. R.B. Holmes and former city commissioner Elaine Bryant for getting people vaccinated, but adds more lives need to be saved lives.
"Those people didn't have a choice, we do. And we need to take advantage of it," said Edwards.
The state vaccine and COVID-19 report show that more than 13,000 African-Americans in Florida have been vaccinated, with more than 274,000 African Americans testing positive for the virus.
Reverend Holmes said he and the task force are now canvassing neighborhoods, going door to door to encourage more people to receive the vaccine.
"The vaccines are here, so the plan is to encourage more as many people as possible to take the vaccine," said Holmes.
The task force is also focused on the younger generation, especially since everyone 16 and older are eligible to be vaccinated.
The group plans to keep the memorial on the front lawn of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church for the next two weeks.
