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White Heart campaign grows brighter in Vernon

Light-up heart installed on the roof of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital
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A large illuminated heart was installed on the roof of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital May 1, 2020. (VJH Foundation photo)

A large, white heart now illuminates the sky over the Vernon Jubilee Hospital, paying recognition to Vernon’s frontline workers and medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The heart light was installed by Black & McDonald Ltd, the hospital’s internal maintenance contractor, on May 1 as part of the VJH Foundation’s White Heart Project, a campaign that encourages the public to share messages of gratitude for healthcare workers online.

“We had a special request from the VJH Foundation to put a ‘White Heart’ on the roof of Polson Tower where the Christmas Tree usually stands,” said Dave Frost, division manager at Black & McDonald.

“Although our maintenance staff is very busy with regular duties, we rose to challenge.”

Black & McDonald covered the Frost’s team drew up a number of creative ideas before deciding on a 20 x 20 foot design, which features a pulsing flash function that can be controlled remotely.

“With help from Brad Hanson at Vernon’s Accent Lighting, Frost said the team was able to illuminate the heart, have the inner portion flash to a “heartbeat” that is controlled by an app.

“Overall we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome and our Black & McDonald maintenance team were more than happy to do something so positively reflected in our community.”

The White Heart project was started by the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation at the outset of the pandemic. The KGH Foundation allowed other hospital foundations to utilize the program in their own regions, and it has since been rolled out by various foundations across Canada.

To view the hundreds of thank-you messages that have been posted as part of the project to date, visit the VJH Foundation’s website.

READ MORE: Love shared with Vernon’s health-care heroes via white hearts

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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