City skylines across the country will transform into a beacon of blue on Thursday at 8 p.m. as part of the global #LightItBlue initiative, a collective salute to the millions of essential workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga will illuminate in blue.
More than 150 major sporting and entertainment venues, landmarks and historic buildings and sports, civic and arts organizations from coast to coast will use existing LED technology to illuminate in blue and post LED messages of support. In a worrisome time of isolation and uncertainty, the effort aims to create a universal moment of solidarity and support.
“We’ve been so inspired over the past few weeks by the cheers of our neighbors around the world – and we wanted to bring this collective gratitude to an even bigger stage here in the U.S.,” said lead organizer of the movement, Joe Zenas, CEO at Thinkwell Group, a design and production agency. “This is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from those of us at home to those of us who are going to work each day to keep our country going. '
The #LightItBlue tribute is being supported by hundreds of venues and organizations from Times Square in New York to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, from Soldier Field in Chicago to the Bank of America Plaza in Dallas, from Boston City Hall to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to The Forum in Inglewood.
A highlight of participating cities and venues include:
• Atlanta: Atlanta City Hall, Skyview Ferris Wheel
• Baltimore: M&T Bank Stadium
• Boise: US Bank Building
• Boston: Boston City Hall, TD Garden
• Cincinnati: Paul Brown Stadium
• Chicago: Millenium Monument
• Dallas: Star of Frisco, One Arts Plaza
• Green Bay: Lambeau Field
• Houston: City Hall
• Indianapolis: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Kansas City: Arrowhead Stadium, Country Club Plaza
• Los Angeles: LA Convention Center
• Miami: Hard Rock Stadium
• Minneapolis: US Bank Stadium
• New Orleans: Jackson Square, Smoothie King Center
• New York: Madison Square Garden, One World Trade Center, Beacon Theatre
• East Rutherford: MetLife Stadium
• Sioux Falls: Arc of Dreams Monument
• St. Louis: James S. McDonnell Planetarium
• Pittsburgh: Heinz Field
• Philadelphia: Lincoln Financial Field
• San Francisco Bay Area: Levi’s Stadium
• Seattle: Space Needle, CenturyLink Field
• Washington, D.C.: Capital One Arena
Originating in the UK, the #LightItBlue volunteer effort has been organized in the U.S. by a collective of leaders from the events and entertainment industry to visualize their appreciation for the millions of Americans at the forefront of this crisis.
All activations will be executed using existing resources in accordance with local stay-at-home mandates. After this Thursday’s kickoff, the #LightItBlue effort will continue weekly on Thursday nights across the U.S.
The campaign invites Americans to join in at home by wearing blue, decorating windows and doorways with blue and sharing their own images or messages to essential workers with the hashtag #LightItBlue. Join the conversation and follow along on Twitter using @LightItBlue.