Light The Lakewood Night Initiative Launched To Rally Community

LAKEWOOD, OH — LakewoodAlive is launching a new initiative to rally the Lakewood community during the new coronavirus, COVID-19, crisis. Called "Light the Lakewood Night," the program encourages residents to decorate their front porch or apartment balcony with a string of lights.

Residents who do not have a front porch or do not have a string of lights can still participate by turning on an exterior light at dusk. Participants can then share their decorated porch photos to the Light the Lakewood Night event on Facebook. Residents should use the hashtags #LovingLakewood or #LighttheLakewoodNight.

"Since we are under the stay-at-home order, folks are looking for ways to remain engaged with their community and show that we are all in this together. As a city of porches (and balconies), we thought that stringing up lights or turning on front porch lights would be a fun way to remain engaged and show a symbolic sign of solidarity and hope. A simple way to say hello to our neighbors and those who are working essential jobs like those in the medical field, grocery stores, and first-responders," said Ian Andrews, LakewoodAlive's executive director.

The concept was cooked up by LakewoodAlive's marketing and development manager Matt Bixenstine, along with other staffers, as a way to convey optimism and solidarity during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The initiative received social media support from the city and more than 325 people have said they're interested in participating on Facebook.