Mt. Davidson Cross, San Francisco’s Armenian Genocide memorial went blue on Easter Eve in support of all healthcare professionals and essential front-line workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Buildings and landmarks across the Bay Area and the U.S. have been awash in blue light as part of a campaign to show support for healthcare professionals and essential front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 1923, Mt. Davidson Landmark Park and Cross has been the home to the annual Easter Sunrise Service which brings together the community each Easter for a non-denominational city-wide celebration at the highest peak in San Francisco. 

Due to the coronavirus and the resulting shelter-in-place order, this 97 year old tradition has been canceled this year, its first time ever in its history.

However, the Council of Armenian Americans of Northern California (CAAONC), the guardians of the Mt. Davidson Cross has decided to continue the tradition of lighting the cross at dusk every Easter Eve.

This historical San Francisco landmark sits at 103 ft tall, nestled on the highest point in the city where it serves as a place of peace, reflection and remembrance. It is one of the oldest landmarks in San Francisco and stands as a memorial to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. 

On July 12, 1997, the Council of Armenian-American Organizations of Northern California (CAAONC), a coalition of over 30 Armenian-American Organizations outbid other groups, and purchased the Cross from the City of San Francisco.

The sale was unanimously approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and placed on the ballot as Proposition F. On November 4, 1997, the voters of San Francisco overwhelmingly voted to approve the sale. The CAAONC thus became the legal owner of the Mt. Davidson Cross and assumed the responsibility for maintaining it.

The cross can be seen from all around the city when it is lit up, on Easter and on April 24th, Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.