Beautiful luminaria, each with heartfelt reflections of remembrance marking one year of the pandemic, lit the sky above the McLean courtyard on the evening of April 5.
It has been a full year since the State of Connecticut declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency. In March, McLean joined LeadingAge CT in its campaign #oneyearstronger, to commemorate this year of resiliency and strength among health care workers, residents and our surrounding community.
McLean president David Bordonaro remarked, “Together, we acknowledged and showed our appreciation of all the hard work that has gone into caring for and protecting our community, and we have honored those we have lost to the virus. We will always remember them and their families, as we forge a path forward together.”
The luminaria evening was the culmination of a multi-tiered remembrance that also included staff and resident appreciation meals, creative snacks, games and even an ice cream truck.
Talented resident artist, Judy Devlin, along with McLean life enrichment coordinator Kathy Wildman created an original work of art and presented it to the community “to forever display all we have endured, lost and accomplished together.” This illustration, Flying the Plane as It’s Being Built, is a poignant illustration that honors every aspect of McLean’s journey, showing the diverse roles of the community working together to manage safety concerns and provide quality of care.
Throughout the flight, McLean continues to feel the support from families, neighbors and the wider community—and most importantly, the resilience of our residents.
Bordonaro also remarked, “With hearts full of gratitude, love and loss, we have so much to be thankful for as we look back. We are grateful to our surrounding community and to each other, that we traveled this journey together, and we thank you for your continued support as we approach a new season.”
