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COURT HOUSE – Middle Township officials spoke of the loss and pain of the last year, but also pointed to reasons for hope at March 20’s evening event, “Covid at One Year: Light After Darkness.”
“After one year of life in the time of Covid, I have faith and have to believe that we are moving from darkness into a new light,” Mayor Timothy Donohue told residents who were invited to gather at a safe distance at the Ockie Wisting Recreation Complex.
According to a release, the event also was livestreamed on the township’s Facebook page.
Expanded access to Covid testing and vaccines continues to propel the township’s recovery, Donohue stated.
The event honored frontline workers who have provided both practical and moral support, such as first responders who risked their safety on medical calls but also participated in drive-by birthday parades and events.
The “heroic staff” of Cape Regional Medical Center was recognized with a plaque for treating Covid patients from the beginning of the crisis.
“In the midst of this fear, heartache, pain and uncertainty, Cape Regional Medical Center has been a beacon of hope and caring, and the heart of Middle Township,” Donohue stated.
Middle matters awards also were presented to the Middle Township School District’s transportation, custodial and food service departments; Marilyn Miller, director of Middle Township’s DeVico Senior Center; Prime Marketing owner Rachell Diaz, for keeping the community connected through social media; Theresa Mascione, of The Branches nonprofit agency, for work with the homeless during the pandemic; and Anthony Anderson, of the Progressive Black Initiative, for the group’s work in promoting community unity. The ceremony had many poignant moments, including a performance by the Middle Township Police Color Guard, a live rendition of “Hallelujah,” and 42 tolls of a bell – one for each of the Township residents lost to Covid.
“Their loss leaves an emptiness in the soul of our community…to honor their lives, we commit to winning this battle,” Donohue stated. “We commit to continuing the hard work of keeping our communities safe and healthy and fully reopening our businesses, our schools and our world safely, sensibly and, hopefully, soon. In a word, we commit to living, living with new appreciation of the value and fragility of human life.”
