Arizona Cardinals honor COVID-19 victims with tribute at stadium

PHOENIX — After dispensing more than 820,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, State Farm Stadium in Glendale is now paying tribute to those who lost their lives to the virus.

The Arizona Cardinals have placed more than 17,000 state flags – one for each Arizonan who has died from COVID-19 – on the Great Lawn near the stadium. The flags are arranged to create the shape of the state.

Honoring and remembering those we have lost.

On the Great Lawn at @StateFarmStdm, more than 17,000 Arizona flags have been arranged in the shape of the state, one for each Arizonan lost to COVID. pic.twitter.com/9M0bhoUtnF

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 26, 2021

“It’s a testament to coming together, for sacrifices made by so many and a stark reminder of the pain we’ve endured as a community for more than a year,” the team said in a video posted on Twitter. “The Arizona Cardinals remember those we’ve lost and honor everyone who has made contributions to battle this deadly pandemic.”

State Farm Stadium opened Jan. 11 as Arizona’s first state-run mass-vaccination site. It operated 24/7 until April 5, when hours were switched to overnight to avoid the rising daytime temperatures.

The location closed on April 23, making way for an indoor site across the street at Gila River Arena.

For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page showing locations and registration information.

For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has a locator page that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.

The following week’s worth of appointments for mass vaccination sites run by the state, which use Pfizer, are released every Friday at 11 a.m. Appointments can be booked online at https://podvaccine.azdhs.gov/ or by calling 844-542-8201.