Gratitude for a neighbour who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital melded into a parade of appreciation in a Salmon Arm neighbourhood last week.
Holly Gray and two of her neighbours in the Ridge subdivision, Prab Dhaliwal and Joanna Bickle, had heard the news about people in different cities across Canada showing their appreciation for healthcare workers at 7 o’clock each evening, a shift change time for many, by banging pots and honking horns to recognize their work.
Gray explained they talked about honouring their well-loved neighbour Jo Tighe, whose official title is patient care coordinator of emergency, intensive care unit and oncology at the Salmon Arm hospital.
They included Jo’s spouse Randi in their plans, deciding that when Randi picked up Jo from work on Thursday afternoon, March 26, he would drive her slowly through the street to their home.
It would be lined with neighbours in their yards, showing their appreciation for her.
As arrival time approached, adults and children at about 12 residences were out on the streets —keeping their social distance, holding thank-you signs and ready to bang on pots and buckets.
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Jo was both surprised and very moved. Randi texted the organizers later to say that he didn’t drive as slowly as planned — Jo told him to speed up because she was crying so much.
“There were a few of us crying including Jo,” Gray said. “I think it made us feel as good as it made her feel appreciated. She’s a very humble person.”
