State College Mayor Ron Filippelli is calling on congregations and individuals to ring bells on Sunday in honor of people working on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Filippelli signed a proclamation in support of ‘Bells Across Pennsylvania Day,’ an initiative of the Pennsylvania State Mayors’ Association.
Borough churches and residents are encouraged to ring bells at 7 p.m. on Sunday for three minutes, one minute for each purpose of the initiative:
– To recognize and honor first responders, healthcare workers, and employees of grocery stores, pharmacies and other life-sustaining businesses who have maintained essential services while at risk of infection from COVID-19;
-To show solidarity with elected officials and residents of municipalities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all of whom are fighting COVID-19 on the front lines together; and
– To demonstrate a collective resolve that Pennsylvanians will prevail over COVID-19 and work tirelessly to ensure that their businesses and civic life will thrive once again.
The borough encourages participating in the event in any way the stay-at-home order and social distancing allows.
Filippelli’s proclamation says that every municipality in Pennsylvania has ‘hometown heroes’ who are deserving of recognition for providing care and protection and continuing life-sustaining businesses during the crisis.
‘Elected officials across the commonwealth have joined together to promote a statewide expression of gratitude to these hometown heroes, solidarity with other Pennsylvanians on the front lines of the COVID-19 battlefield and determination that their municipal businesses and civic life will thrive once again,’ the proclamation says.
‘Since days of the American Revolution, the bell has served as an instrument for expressing communal gratitude, camaraderie and resolve, and is a means well-suited for Pennsylvanians sheltering in place to demonstrate such values.’
State College congregations and community members also participated in a bell-ringing to honor ‘coronavirus heroes’ on Easter Sunday.
