MIAMI (WSVN) - Neighborhoods across South Florida clapped, whistled and banged pots and pans together to show appreciation to the first responders and healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Maria Galli lives in Miami’s Midtown neighborhood, where a group of friends coordinated a big thank you for first responders earlier this week.
What they did not expect was for the whole neighborhood to join in.
“‘Hey, let’s go out on the balconies tonight and clap as a thank you for all our health heroes,'” Galli said. “I don’t hear anything, I go, ‘Oh, no, this didn’t work,’ and suddenly, it starts building up and more and more, and it got so emotional, I almost cried.”
Now, every night at 8 p.m. since Tuesday, neighbors are coming out to cheer on people like Doreann de Armas, who works as a nurse practitioner.
“When I heard the response, it was amazing,” she said. “It gave me goose bumps, and it was just so motivating.”
She said the show of appreciation helps her get up and go to work every day, although it can be hard.
“I want to thank them for thanking us and being there for us,” de Armas said. “It means more because we all need it. We all need something positive and happy in this crazy time in our life.”
Many neighbors were personally touched by the pandemic. Constanca Blousson’s fiancé works as an emergency room doctor.
“Because of this, we haven’t been with him for 20 days now, and I really don’t know when I’m going to see him again,” Blousson said.
Residents in Biscayne Park also showed their love to first responders and healthcare workers. They walked to the end of their driveways clapping, cheering and lighting candles.
Galli said that ironically, during this era of social distancing, she has never felt more connected to her neighbors, and she plans on having the whole neighborhood come out to sing the national anthem together.
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