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Mostly Cloudy Mercy Medical Center gets car, fire truck parade in Rockville Centre
Sounds of sirens, car horns and cheers did not let up as the community came out in droves — in their vehicles — to show their appreciation for Mercy Medical Center workers on Tuesday.
Friends of Mercy, a fundraising nonprofit organization, led the “Morale Booster Day” car parade. More than 300 cars and 30 trucks from seven fire departments showed up, including the Rockville Centre, Lakeview, South Hempstead, Lynbrook and East Rockaway fire departments, as well as the Rockville Centre Police Department.
Hospital workers knew fire trucks would be coming by that morning, but were overwhelmed by the amount of residents that rode by in cars, waving signs, cheering and honking their horns.
“I can’t even explain how awesome it was,” said Barbara Gibbons, Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy. “Without the support of each other and community, I don’t think we’d be able to get through this.”
Health care workers at Mercy have been on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis for about six weeks now. The hospital treated some of Nassau County’s first confirmed Covid-19 patients in the beginning of March and saw one of the county’s first deaths to the virus, as well.
“I see these nurses and doctors, how mobbed they are right now,” said Andy Healey, a member of Friends of Mercy, “People are stressed.”
The community waved homemade signs of support during the parade, then dropped them off to be hung around the hospital. “When they walk out at the end of the day, we hope it’s uplifting for them to see the signs that say ‘thank you,’” Healey said.
“Sometimes it’s difficult, I think, for the staff to come to work,” Gibbons added. “When they see the signs and an event like today, it reminds everybody what they’re doing this for — it’s for the community, the county, the town and our kids.”
Gibbons said the health care workers on the staff are true “heroes.”
“I am so proud of the staff and every person that works here,” she said. “It’s a team effort. We’re in this all together, and you can tell that Mercy is like a family.”
