The City of Sacramento on Wednesday lit up many of its landmarks in blue in a symbolic show of support for medical workers who are fighting against the coronavirus.
The landmarks include City Hall, Memorial Auditorium, street lights on Capitol Mall, and an underpass near McKinley Village in East Sacramento.
Staff will be lighting other landmarks in blue by the end of the week, including an underpass at Richards Blvd. under I-5, a bicycle/pedestrian bridge at Sacramento City College and a tunnel near the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
“I really think it is a beautiful gesture,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg during a live Facebook video announcing the campaign.
The effort is part of a growing movement in Great Britain and parts of the U.S. where government buildings and home owners have displayed blue lights for the same purpose.
The Mayor and other City officials are also calling on Sacramento residents to put up blue lights in their homes until May 1 while under a public health “Stay-at-Home” order.
“We can all take part in this by displaying blue lights in our homes if we have them. Let’s do this to show solidarity not only to our health care workers and first responders but to all workers on the front lines,” said Steinberg.
Residents are encouraged to post photos of their blue lights to social media with the hashtag, “#LightSactoBlue”.
“If you don’t have a blue light, you can write a sign in blue, tie a blue ribbon around your tree, or even put up holiday lights,” said Carlos Eliason, a creative specialist for the City.
City staff hope the action will help to increase civic pride and engagement during the “stay-at-home” public health order,” which directs all individuals living in the county to stay at their place of residence except for essential activities to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19.