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Let's hear it for Tri-City health care workers and first responders

Coquitlam, Port Moody residents and postal workers among those giving thanks to health care workers and other essential service workers who are on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic
Diane Strandberg

Tributes continue to pour in for health care workers and emergency responders as Tri-City residents express gratitude for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 epidemic.

From flying banners above Royal Columbian Hospital to parades of emergency vehicles and donuts for staff at Eagle Ridge Hospital, there is no end to the creativity of local residents who want to offer their support in these difficult times.

On Thursday, it will be the turn of postal workers to show their support when 50 Canada Post letter carriers from the Port Moody and Coquitlam offices parade around Port Moody’s No. 1 firehall before heading over to Eagle Ridge Hospital for a salute.

“We wanted to do our part in supporting them,” said letter carrier Nick Latorie, who organized Thursday evening’s postal worker parade.

Beginning at 6:45 p.m. postal trucks will gather at Port Moody recreation centre before heading out to the fire hall and hospital, with horns honking to add to the 7 p.m. cacophony of banging pots and sirens blaring.

Banner above Royal Columbia Hospital
Woody's Pub owner Gordon Cartwright had this banner flown above Royal Columbian Hospital Monday in tribute to health care workers. - Danielle Connelly

Then there’s Port Moody teen Roxanna Ferdowsi who wants to buy donuts and coffee for everyone at Eagle Ridge Hospital on April 27 — the date of her 17th birthday.

She’s raising funds for the effort to ensure every one of the hospital’s 400 staff members gets a treat.

“Each box of donuts is about $10 and contains 12 donuts, and each box of coffee is about $18 and can serve 12 people, meaning we would need about 34 boxes. Obviously this is a large goal,” she said.

Ferdowsi is now looking for the community to chip in so they can get as many boxes as possible. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hey all! In the video I said my birthday is in about 10 days, I recorded it yesterday and even then it wasn’t 10 days LOL I can’t even remember my own birthday BUT my point is, I would truly appreciate any help! Hospital staff is huge, and I’m sure we’ve all heard of the doctors not getting sleep or not eating simply to spend 100% of their time treating Covid patients. On April 27, instead of celebrating my birthday, my family and I are going to celebrate the amazing health care workers, and I want to invite all of you to join me! We have reached out to @fraserhealth’s Eagle Ridge hospital and we will be donating several boxes of donuts and coffee! Now with a very large staff, this will be costly, and we want to reach out to as much as the staff possible, so we need your help! If you could etransfer me anything you are willing, that would be well appreciated! My email is [email protected], and I will be setting up a paypal within the next hour if that’s easier for anyone. Message me if you do decide to help us out! 120% of your money is going directly to thanking the healthcare workers, and I will provide receipts just to make sure we’re all on the same boat! This will be happening on Monday April 27 at 9am, so we are accepting anything up until the morning of! We have 8 days to collect as much possible, so please share this with friends you believe would be willing to help out! And if you can’t financially support, that’s totally fine! This is a hard time for anyone so no pressure! Kind words of support are more than enough! Thank you all!

A post shared by roxanna▪️ (@roxannaferdowsi) on

“The hospital does have a rotation set up for snacks, so any amount of donuts is appreciated,” said Ferdowsi, who can be reached via email at [email protected].

Even Woody’s Pub got into the swing of things this week when owner Gordon Cartwright flew a banner above Royal Columbian Hospital on Monday night in a tribute to health care workers.

“We bang the drums every night and I thought ‘how am I going to do this in a different way?’” said Cartwright, who has owned the Coquitlam pub for 24 years.

The plane few from RCH to Peace Arch Hospital, where it was watched by dozens of health care workers. 

 

Cartwright’s daughter is a nurse at Peace Arch and was thrilled to see the support for herself and her fellow workers, he said.

These are just some of the many stories of how Tri-City residents and businesses are coming together at this time.

For more about how people are dealing with COVID-19, visit here.