Lawrenceville has started an annual celebration of its law enforcement workers early to expand it to all frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The city and the Lawrenceville Police Department’s Police Benevolent Fund started Light Lawrenceville Blue last year to honor local police and raise money for the organization. This year’s event was slated to start in May, coinciding with National Police Week. But when city officials noticed communities lighting up in blue across the country for frontline workers — including medical personnel, police and other first responders — they decided to start the celebration early.
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Downtown Atlanta’s Sky Wheel and Truist Park have both been lit in blue recently to honor frontline workers, part of a variety of celebrations that have been held for workers involved in fighting the pandemic and keeping life operating as close to normal as possible.
Light Lawrenceville Blue raises money for the Police Benevolent Fund by selling blue tinted lightbulbs that residents and businesses put at the front of their homes and buildings on evenings during the event, casting the city in blue light. Since Lawrenceville City Hall has closed due to the pandemic, the Resanant Bank branch on Hurricane Shoals Drive stepped in to sell the bulbs. The bank is selling them for $10 through the drive-through, and all proceeds go to the Police Benevolent Fund.
“If we couldn’t sell the bulbs through the drive-through, I don’t know how we could’ve done this,” said Melissa Hardegree, the city’s director of community relations.
Residents have purchased 50 lightbulbs from the bank so far and many more are reusing bulbs bought during last year’s event, Hardegree said. The event kicked off Sunday night, and the city will be lit in blue every night through May 16.
Those wishing to participate can still get bulbs from the bank branch at 141 Hurricane Shoals Drive in Lawrenceville.
