Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist are commemorating the one-year anniversary of the first diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the state by asking residents to turn on the lights outside their homes in remembrance of Michiganders who lost their lives to the virus.

Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist are urging residents to participate on Wednesday, March 10 from 8 to 9 p.m.

“As we mark this occasion, we also look towards the light at the end of the tunnel. We have three safe, effective vaccines, all miracles of science, that will help protect you, your family, and others from COVID and help us get our country and the economy back to normal,” said Governor Whitmer.

“It’s been one year since COVID-19 was found in Michigan, and as a result, this virus has changed almost every aspect of our daily lives, but despite its darkness, we have seen the brightest light shine in the determined resolve of each other during these trying times,” said Lt. Governor Gilchrist. “The simple act of turning on our lights is a way to remember and honor those we have lost and show that we’re all in this together and we will emerge from this crisis, together.”