Tempe Home's Flag Display Honors Coronavirus Victims

TEMPE, AZ — A Tempe homeowner is honoring the victims of the coronavirus pandemic in a very visceral way.

Small, white flags dot Stephanie Williams' front yard, with each flag representing 1,000 deaths from a virus the world is still working to contain. A huge sign explains what each flag means to passersby.

“It’s a sadness you just kind of face every day,” Williams told ABC 15. “I thought I just need to do something that will remind us of all the fellow Americans we’re losing,” said Williams.

As of Monday, 332,246 Americans have died from coronavirus complications. In Arizona, that number is now 8,469.

Williams' neighbor, Dan Anderson, told the outlet that he sees families stop by to explain to their children what each flag represents. He said each flag is about more than just those who have died.

“Each of them, while they represent a thousand people, what about their spouses, what about their brothers and sisters, what about their children, their grandchildren,” said Anderson. "So many people are impacted by this loss."

With the coronavirus vaccine beginning to be administered in Arizona and throughout the country, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. But Williams said she hopes her memorial serves as a way to move forward.

“These people should not be forgotten,” she said.