Lake County Coronavirus: Hot Meals Donated To Healthcare Workers

LAKE COUNTY, IL—As the new coronavirus keeps doctors, nurses and other hospital employees working around the clock, Lake County law enforcement officers are doing their part to show them how much their hard work is appreciated.

"We want them to know how much we care and support them with what they are doing each and every day for all of us," Lake County Sherif John Idleburg said.

On Tuesday, Idleburg's department along with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Lake County Coroner’s Office, Lake County Board, the 19th Judicial Circuit, Lake County Government, Bannockburn Police Department, Riverwoods Police Department, Lake Bluff Fire Department made several visits to nearby hospitals to deliver hot meals to those working the front lines to take care of people affected by COVID-19.

"We're creating sort of a local law enforcement appreciation just for all the healthcare workers and everybody working in the hospitals for the current pandemic going on with COVID-19," Lake County Deputy Stevan Georgevich said. "This is sort of like a bare minimum of what we can do to show our support and appreciation. We see them. They see us, so it's sort of like one big unit where we are all together."

As a caravan of police cruisers paraded down to Lindenhurst Surgery Center, Vista Medical Center East, Highland Park Hospital, Advocate Condell Outpatient Center and Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, law enforcement officers carried large signs to each location filled with touching messages that read, 'Super heroes wear scrubs, 'You're a lifesaver. Thanks for all you do' and 'You are loved.' The kind gesture struck a cord with those at the forefront of the virus.

"This brought such joy to us to witness this and to feel the love. We were in awe! Thank you all for taking care of the community as well!" Jamie Gallinati, a local healthcare worker, said.

"Thank you so much! My daughter was working today and said it brought tears to her eyes," one woman posted on the Lake County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

With the help of BBQ'd Productions Sports Bar & Grill, deputies provided healthcare workers Tuesday with several hundred warm meals free of charge.

"We’re 3/4 the way to our goal of feeding 10,000 medical professionals and first responders," the restaurant owners said on their official Facebook page.

According to the restaurant, they delivered 260 barbecue lunches to medical professionals, nurses and doctors at St Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates Wednesday.

"It's just so special for us to be out here helping our first responders and people that are working so hard in the hospitals. These people have really been risking their safety to keep us all safe," Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said. "It'a just a small thing we can do to hopefully cheer them up here a little bit as well as people that might be in the hospital."

Anyone interested in donating meals to healthcare professionals and first responders throughout Lake County, click here.