NEW HAVEN, Conn. — We’ve heard of restaurants donating food to frontline workers at local hospitals. But, a Hamden tree service, also displayed their thanks in a big way Monday.
And, no bucket trucks or chainsaws were necessary.
Kyle DeLucia, the Owner of K & J Tree Service, in Hamden, said he and his young niece decided on Saturday afternoon they wanted to do something to show their thanks to the front line workers at Yale-New Haven Hospital. And they went big!
“It’s not just the doctors and nurses,” said DeLucia. “It’s everybody, who’s doing their part through this time.”
K & J brought along a huge crane to hang a 50 foot American flag outside the Yale-New Haven Hospital emergency department.
“People’s hearts are opening up,” said Tom Saxa, RN, Yale-New Haven Hospital. “And it’s happening here on a daily basis, on a shift by shift basis.”
To complement the flag, K & J also built a large thank you sign.
“We used stencils to paint the sign,” said third grader Kayla Boyle, whose uncle owns K & J Tree Service. She was in charge of painting the sign.
“I remember all the nurses I know and all the doctors and how hard it is for them and how hard it is for the people going through this,” said the third grader.
Many YNHH workers, amazed by the gesture, captured pictures and videos. Some even waved from inside the hospital. Their main message back was thank you.
“Thank you for your social distancing,” said Saxa. “Thank you for staying away from the hospitals when you don’t need to be here so that we can care for the people that are here.”
“It was very rewarding to see probably 30 people came out at the initial raising of the flag and then throughout the entire time they’ve been here,” said DeLucia.
There was even one of the medical professional, visible through a third-floor window, wiping away tears away from her face.