Cities light up buildings to honor workers on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic

Todd Garrin
Updated ·5 min read

Americans are thanking workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak in many ways, and the latest added a little brightness to this dark time.

Cities across the United States lit up their landmarks with blue lights on Thursday as a part of the #LightItBlue campaign. More than 150 U.S. locations participated in the tribute which originated in the United Kingdom.

“We’ve been so inspired over the past few weeks by the cheers of our neighbors around the world – and we wanted to bring this collective gratitude to an even bigger stage here in the U.S.,” Joe Zenas, lead organizer of the #LightItBlue movement, said in a statement provided to Yahoo Lifestyle.

On Thursday, New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, encouraged his state to participate. “I am directing that key buildings and structures throughout the state join the #LightItBlue campaign and be illuminated with the color blue on Thursday night as a way of thanking and standing in solidarity with the brave men and women who are truly doing God’s work,” he said in a press release sent to Yahoo Lifestyle, along with a tweet.

“We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for all they do,” he added.

Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana tweeted thanks.

The Dallas Sports Commission in Texas “shined blue in honor of our frontline and essential workers.”

Baseball team the Houston Astros tweeted that their home stadium Minute Maid Park joined in.

And the Chicago Bears tweeted that Soldier Field would “show support” for those “putting their lives on the line every day to fight against this pandemic.”

NFL team the Cleveland Browns in Ohio said they were “honored” to participate.

And theme park Six Flags Over Georgia tweeted a photo of a lit up roller coaster.

Someone shared a beautiful photo of the blue skyline in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Indiana nonprofit Downtown Indy, Inc. tweeted, “Monument Circle shines for YOU.”

Little Rock's River Market, a shopping-and-restaurant area, showed their city’s blue bridge, writing, “Thank you ALL!”

And the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California committed “to shine a light on those who are working tirelessly every day.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.