Parade of Gratitude: Community Shows Appreciation to NYCBS’ Frontline

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, communities are finding unique ways to come together while staying apart. Parades of vehicles have been seen all over celebrating birthdays and other events that could not take place due to social distancing. The parades of celebration extended to the healthcare workers who have been working tirelessly to care for their patients and prevent community spread of the novel coronavirus.

Physicians, nurses, and frontline staff at New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS) were overwhelmed with pride and joy when their colleague, Elisabeth Devaney, RN planned a surprise parade past the NYCBS Riverhead location.

“We wanted to show our appreciation to all of the wonderful staff,” she said.

The honking began around 1:00 pm on Friday, April 10. Riverhead police escorted the cars that drove by with balloons and thank-you signs. NYCBS staff waved to the cars as they passed and it truly made their day.

But the parades didn’t end there.

On Tuesday, April 14, the Mount Sinai community who organized a Facebook group for their children’s birthdays, extended their celebration parades to the front line. Kristen Metzler, the group’s organizer said, “We got such an overwhelming response from our group to thank our frontline heroes that we had to break it into north and south Mount Sinai.”

Over twenty vehicles paraded past the 347, 112, and NY Imaging Specialist locations in Port Jefferson Station. Thank you signs streamed across while children and adults alike showed their appreciation to those who risk their health and safety every day.

It is often in times of darkness that people provide light for others. It is unprecedented times that call for unprecedented unity. As a community, we will get through this together and be better and stronger than before.