Local residents have not had much to smile about the past few weeks. Schools are closed, perhaps through the rest of the year. Many are out of work, while the global economy again teeters on the brink of recession.
Heck, we really haven’t had much to do at all, besides talk to our houseplants and reminisce about what restaurants used to be like.
Emergency responders, too, are facing all-new challenges, as a routine medical call now requires donning of personal protective equipment and sterilization protocols.
But this week, Aurora Fire District, Woodburn Ambulance, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office decided to put all that on the back burner, just for a minute.
The “Porch Parade,” they called it.
“We thought it was a bummer that you and your children can’t visit us at the fire station, so we thought we would ‘visit’ you by driving by and waving,” Aurora Fire District said in a Facebook post this week. “Firefighters, along with some friends, will be driving by as many streets as possible, so come to the window or out on the porch and wave hello.”
Residents certainly did, with some children even turning out with colorful handmade signs reading “Thank You.” Even the Easter Bunny made an appearance, or so the legend goes.
“As far as the porch parade, I just thought it would be fun to bring a smile to our citizens,” Aurora Fire Chief Joshua Williams told the Canby Now Podcast. “I know there are a lot of people cooped up in homes, and a lot of kids that may be bored. In this time of uncertainty, the one thing our people can count on is their local emergency responders.”
Chief Williams said the parade was received very well, with people on their porches, driveways, the backs of pickup trucks and, of course, lined up in camp chairs. The Canby area loves a good parade, and not even the coronavirus can change that.
“There was a tremendous amount of people yelling thank you and giving lots of thumbs up,” Williams said. “There were children waving their homemade signs to us. You can’t get any better than that!”
The chief admitted it was not only the public who got a boost from the brief bit of fun.
“I’m not sure who had a better time,” Chief Williams said, “the kids or the firefighters/EMTs and deputies.”
A “big thank you,” Chief said, goes out to Woodburn Ambulance, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office for helping out with the event.
Photos courtesy the Aurora Fire District:
