On March 1st we will present The Floral Heart Project, a COVID-19 Memorial effort, in our communities. Stanley Subaru is co-sponsoring the project with The Bud Connection for our county. We will lay floral hearts locally in Blue Hill and Ellsworth in conjunction with cities and towns across the country. People are invited to visit the wreath at any time in a socially-distanced manner to pay respects, read a poem, remember a loved one, or sing a song. Thirty-one battery-operated tea lights will be placed around the wreath to represent the lives lost to date in Hancock County due to COVID-19.
Our sister store in Belfast, Stanley Chevrolet Buick, is also taking part with nineteen candles for those lost in Waldo County.
The Floral Heart Project in New York
The Floral Heart Project was started by Maine-native and artist Kristina Libby in an effort to help the community create spaces for public grieving and to share support for people suffering during the pandemic. It began with her research on the potential impacts on society from the pandemic and was furthered with the revealing data that for every person we lose, two to nine people will experience severe PTSD. She felt that we could not withstand this deep psychological wound without help. Her contribution has been to create visualizations of those we have lost and to hold vigils and ritual ceremonies for those suffering as part of the Floral Heart Project.
The project is meant to be simple for anyone, anywhere to understand. She chose flowers as they are a traditional gift during loss and hearts because they are a simple way to showcase love and support. You can find more about the Floral Heart Project at floralheartproject.com.
