legacies they leave behind. he really wanted to be instrumental in helping people s lives become better. tonight, we remember lives well lived. one year ago, a cruel and mysterious threat arrived on our soil. in the beginning, it was unclear how long covid would be here and how many people it would steal from us. but in the weeks and months that followed, covid moved ruthlessly through our biggest cities and eventually invaded even our smallest towns, leaving no part of our country untouched. covid took from us americans of every age, gender and race. ultimately, it would exact a far greater toll on communities of color, but no group of americans has been spared. hi, everyone. i m nicole wallace. over the past year we ve been honored to share with you the stories of some of those we ve lost and tell you about their lives, lives well lived. their stories were all so beautifully unique, but they were united by two undeniable truths. they all ended too soon, and they each
eventually invaded even our smallest towns leaving no part of our country untouched. covid took from us americans of every age, gender and race. ultimately it would exact a far greater toll on communities of color, but no group of americans has been spared. hey, everyone. i m nicolle wallace. over the past year we ve been honored to share with you the stories of some of those we have lost and to tell you about their lives, lives well-lived. their stories were all so beautifully unique, but they were united by two undeniable truths. they all ended too soon, and they each left behind an entire family or community for whom life would never be the same. for so many the losses exacerbated by how our loved ones died. in many cases alone or in the company of a devoted but exhausted nurse or doctor. many families have had to say good-bye forever on an ipad or a cell phone. the past year has been nothing short of a sweeping and historic american tragedy. so in a humble effort to honor