This Easter evening at 6, Raleigh is asked to step outside and salute essential employees
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Everyone loves a standing ovation, right?
Whether they just hit a game-winning home run, gave a speech or nailed a presentation, getting a standing ovation justifies the work they’ve done. But what about the people who are putting their lives on the line daily? The folks who, in this time of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, are on the front lines while many of us are bound to our homes.
Sarah Peters decided to show them some appreciation. Peters, who lives in Raleigh, was inspired by the acts of kindness she had seen on social media and the news.
She watched neighborhoods across the nation and world gather outside as essential workers headed to and from work for the day. Neighbors stood and clapped, giving them energy and showing their appreciation. Peters wanted to bring the gesture to Wake County.
She went on the Nextdoor app and sent out emails, asking citizens to go outside Sunday night at 6 to honor the essential workers in their neighborhood the right way.
“We sent it out to 12,000 homes,” Peters told the N&O on Sunday morning. “We’re going to do it rain or shine, but we are expecting to have hundreds of people.”
Severe weather is possible in the Triangle on Sunday evening, but Peters doesn’t want that to stop residents from going out — on their porches, balconies, front steps — to cheer and “clap for the caregivers.”
Peters hopes people come out to show support for doctors, ministers, mental health workers, food vendors, volunteers.
“We don’t know what the impact is going to be,” Peters said. “We just want to say thank you and show our appreciation. We have lots of reasons for doing it, and I think our neighborhood really is going to turn out and it’ll be a lot of fun, just a way to say thanks.”
It’s personal for Peters. There’s a nurse on her block and another nurse at WakeMed who goes to her church and has been working three straight weeks. She has a friend who is an infectious disease doctor on the front lines and a nephew who’s a doctor.
Peters is asking people to step outside for just one minute to show their support for essential workers. A young child in her neighborhood was recently outside banding on pots and pans, in her eyes preparing for the sendoff tonight at 6.
“It just gave me a lot of joy to hear that,” Peters said. “If we can give these people who are working so hard 30 seconds of joy that would be enough.”
This story was originally published April 12, 2020 at 1:30 PM.
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