Forever Strongest: DSNY COVID-19 Memorial
By: Robin Brooks
Historically, our Sanitation Workers, Supervisors and Chiefs have been ubiquitous – yet somehow simultaneously invisible. New Yorkers certainly understood the importance of their work, yet rarely contemplated the critical role these workers have had in our lives every single day.
COVID-19 changed that.
Sanitation workers gave New Yorkers hope and reminded us what “New York Tough” really means. Like never before, people across the city created signs thanking our Sanitation Workers and posted to social media how grateful they were for New York’s Strongest. Children sent us drawings of their san worker heroes. Through these long months, New Yorkers who had never given much thought about sanitation before suddenly understood what “essential” actually means.
Early in the pandemic, we quickly set up the Sanitation Foundation’s COVID-19 DSNY Emergency Fund. People from across the city, the country and globe donated. Thanks to people’s generosity, we helped protect our uniformed colleagues by providing reusable masks, hand sanitizer and wipes, and high-visibility hats for their dark and cold pre-dawn hours.
These donations also enabled us to do something unprecedented: We commissioned the first permanent, free-standing memorial to victims of the COVID-19 pandemic in the City of New York. Made from stainless steel, concrete and rebar, this enduring meditation in steel weighs approximately 750 pounds, and stands at three feet wide and 10 feet high. It was conceptualized and created by Sanitation Iron Shop Worker Bernard Klevickas, who was selected as the winner in the Foundation’s 2020 DSNY Art Show. Bernard earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His works have graced the entrances of the Armory Art Show and the New Museum and have been featured at the City Reliquary Museum. To produce this meaningful and enduring work of art, Klevickas opted for 316L stainless steel, a medical-grade metal, for its durability and versatility. This piece is comprised of a column, vessel, shroud and bird and is set upon rebar-reinforced concrete. Through his fabrication processes, the steel elements will each develop a different patina over time.
“Reflecting upon the loss of our essential workers, I began with a shortened Greek-style column to symbolize their lives cut too short. As an artist, I leave the other elements and totality of the work open to each viewer's interpretation,” Klevickas said. Some people may view a dove as a protector, shrouding a lost loved one. Others may see the bird as a spirit, liberating lost colleagues.
On May 20, the Foundation unveiled this memorial, Forever Strongest, for our employees and the families of our fallen colleagues in a meaningful ceremony at the Spring Street Salt Shed in Manhattan. More than 100 people gathered – outdoors, safely, masked and socially distanced – to honor our lost workers who performed their duty in the face of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty. Watch the unveiling on YouTube and read the New York Times coverage.
In his remarks at the event, Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson told Sanitation employees “This pandemic has brought untold challenges to our department and to each of us, personally. Through it, you performed. You persevered. I often describe our department as a “family.” As is true for most families, we have been through so much together these past 15 months. We’ve been both victims and responders, with direct and cascading effects on all of our lives. We have endured and overcome many challenges yet never wavering from our mission. Through it all, you proved again that your talent and commitment are the foundation of this agency, and you demonstrated that we are fundamental to the health and well-being of our great city. Forged in steel, this sculpture is a symbol of our loved ones’ strength and fortitude and it will serve as an enduring reminder of their patriotic sacrifice.”
The Commissioner also told the families that “Our fallen colleagues will be remembered as the heroes they were. They remained true to their duty and true to their city during New York’s darkest hours. They served with dignity, and they served with pride. And they will forever be New York’s Strongest.” He then distributed the Department’s first Medals of Remembrance to relatives of our lost employees.
During the pandemic, more than 20% of our approximate 9,500 workers tested positive for COVID-19. Tragically, the Department suffered nine confirmed fatalities, and we also remember others lost early in the pandemic when testing wasn’t readily available. The nine Sanitation employees confirmed to have lost their lives due to COVID-19 are:
Ali Ali Sanitation Worker, Queens East 7
Raymond Copeland Sanitation Worker, Queens East 12
Rickey Dowtin, Jr. Sanitation Enforcement Agent, Manhattan
Michael Geraci Auto Mechanic, Queens Borough Repair
Francisco Nunez Auto mechanic, Manhattan and Bronx Repair Shop
Quebiy Pigott Sanitation Worker, Manhattan 5
Iqbal Shaikh Clerical Associate, Queens West Borough Office
Paul Santoro, Sr. Auto Mechanic, Queens East 10
Kevin Williams Sanitation Worker, Bronx 5
