Red, Blue and You has always been about community leaders saying “Thank You” to the people who put their safety on the line to protect Gwinnett County.
In the past, that has focused on local public safety officers.
With a pandemic hanging over the world this year, organizers of the annual event are broadening the group of people they want to thank, by adding frontline health care workers and teachers to the mix.
“It was designed originally for the first responders, the police, the fire, the EMS, the city police, the sheriff’s department (and) the highway patrol, and that’s what we’ve done for four years,” Red, Blue and You organizer Raymer Sale said. “But, this year, we’re changing it a little bit. We’re adding to it the frontline (workers) and teachers, because they’ve certainly been on the frontline.”
This year’s event will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Tom Riden Stadium, which is located at 2750 Sawnee Avenue in Buford. That is due to limits on the number of people who can be allowed to gather indoors in Buford because of the pandemic.
And, yes, there will be social distancing practiced at the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will be other changes this year because of the pandemic. There will not be a touch-a-truck-style display this year. There will also not be a band performing this year.
The traditional buffet lunch will instead be boxed lunches for 620 attendees this year.
And, some of the recognitions will be taken out into the community, honoring hospital workers and teachers where they work rather than doing all of the recognitions in one spot with ribbons and displays at schools and hospitals.
“This year, we definitely pivoted and we recognized this year is very different,” Red, Blue and You committee member Annie Valenty said. “We kind of put our heads together and thought it would be important to as a community to also recognize our community heroes and we see that as all of the front line.
“That can be our health care workers obviously, and our teachers, but anybody — every worker is essential, so we want to recognize every workers who went above and beyond this year, who keep this community health and safe.”
Red, Blue and You has recognized the efforts of health care workers during the pandemic previously this year. In the spring, the organization brought pizzas to workers at the local hospitals as a token of appreciation for their efforts. Video of that will be played at the event on Thursday.
The event is also expected to include a tribute to Gwinnett Police SWAT K-9 Blue, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this year.
Although some of the traditional aspects of Red, Blue and You will not happen this year because of the venue change, there are some things which will be added as well. That includes a musical performance by the Buford Middle School chorus.
“We are looking for over 600 attendees this year, which is more than we’ve ever had before, and the involvement of the school systems is going to do that,” Sale said.
Red, Blue and You is free to attend and the general public is invited to participate in the event.
November 15, 2020 at 03:00AM
https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/red-blue-and-you-will-honor-frontline-health-care-workers-teachers-in-addition-to-public/article_e4b3f574-265d-11eb-a24f-b37fa8687834.html
Red, Blue and You will honor frontline health care workers, teachers in addition to public safety this year - Gwinnettdailypost.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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