If You’re Looking for a Sign—He’s Got You Covered
Many saw him last week. The man standing on the grass near the hospital's Crittenden/Kendrick intersection holding signs of thanks.
The “sign guy,” Greg Irwin, is not an employee and he wasn’t hired to stand there in the early morning hours as people walked into work. The Rochester man, who works in consulting, said he simply wanted to express thanks at a time when health care workers needed it most.
“I wanted to come out and make sure people knew that they are still supported, and that there are more of us out there that appreciate what they’re doing,” said Irwin. “Everybody needs health care at some point, and the people taking care of us need to know that we support them.”
The positive response hit like a tidal wave. He got countless smiles, elbow bumps. Several people even pulled him aside to thank him, with tears in their eyes. One doctor shared a photo of him on Twitter with the caption: “Amazing how one person can blaze through the fog of negativity.” The photo was liked over 3,500 times and positive responses immediately began flooding in. Irwin didn’t expect his small gesture to go viral, but is glad others were encouraged by it.
“I didn’t think holding up the sign would have the impact that it had. It’s been incredible,” he said. Irwin hopes to be back in the days ahead. “The more appreciation and happiness we can spread, the better.”
More Messages of Support
Many in the community have responded with more gestures of thanks. Amy Bender and Anne O’Neill are first grade teachers at Jefferson Avenue School in Fairport whose class sent thank-you cards to hospital workers as part of a letter writing campaign.
“Like teachers, health care workers were seen as heroes in the beginning of the pandemic and a few months later, those perceptions have changed,” said Bender. “One day it was normal and the next it wasn’t. We have all had to change the way we do our jobs and turn on a dime. Health care workers really rose to the occasion.”
When she saw a Facebook post calling on the community to show their support, Bender said the students were excited to take part. The class understood the assignment and sent a stack of beautiful cards and drawings filled with messages of thanks.
“Not only were they excited to do it, they really understood the ‘Why,’” said Bender.
This week, a group of volunteers also took to the pavement to express their support artistically, with chalk drawings near the medical center. They can be seen by employees and anyone walking nearby. Sarah Jeoung, a medical student at SMD who contributed to the sidewalk art, said she wanted to counter the wave of negative headlines and voices in the community by thanking those on the front lines.
“Seeing the resilience, teamwork, and ingenuity of the hospital employees while on the floors has inspired me to do whatever I can to help our community,” said Jeoung. “Working at the hospital can be a thankless job at times, especially during the pandemic, but I hope this shows that there are people who are very thankful to the employees at the U of R for coming in every day.”
Matt Ulakovic | 9/28/2021
