(KNSI) – Central Minnesota dedicated a memorial honoring those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jake Judd KNSI News
The Rock-On Monument is located in Hester Park next to St. Cloud Hospital on CentraCare. Nurse Amber Martin was one of those healthcare workers who risk their lives every day to care for their community. She told KNSI News that she was happy to be recognized. People may have seen it, and it’s great that the community is recognizing that some of the people affected by COVID that we actually cared for can understand this. ”

Jake Judd KNSI News
She says the community’s support has helped her and her colleagues get through the most difficult times. “It was a love affair with people in the hospital, people in the community, food being delivered all the time. We were never hungry. were always aligned.”
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Klies, speaking at the event, said that gratitude alone is not enough. “The world has been tested by the pandemic. I know there aren’t really many.”
The memorial was unveiled Friday, three years after CentraCare launched its COVID Incident Command Unit to tackle the virus. The Rock-On Awards will be announced at Granite City Days 2021, with plans to dedicate the monument after the worst of the pandemic has passed.
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