Celebrating nurses for Nurses’ Appreciation Week
To celebrate Nurses Appreciation Week, Austinites delivered 5,915 meals to nurses at Central Texas Hospitals and Clinics (plus the VA hospital in Temple). Local buildings were lighted blue and Austin residents applauded from porches last Wednesday to launch the week after a call from Mayor Adler.
Buildings illuminated in blue for nurses included the Long Center, UFCU, Austin American Statesman, and Austin Hotel and Lodging Association members Fairmont Austin, JW Marriott, Hilton Austin, Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin, Hotel Ella, Best Western Plus Austin Central, and DoubleTree Guest Suites by Hilton on 15th Street. KMFA helped prelude community-wide applause on KMFA By Request with Jeffery Blair in a broadcast of John Williams’ Summon the Heroes.
The Entrepreneurs’ Foundation, a local nonprofit, coordinated the meals for healthcare workers on behalf of Austin’s tech, startup, and philanthropic community. According to Eugene Sepulveda, CEO of the Entrepreneurs Foundation, “Though Austin flattened the curve and avoided a surge of COVID-19 cases, nurses and their families sacrificed greatly during the past six weeks. Despite a lack of PPE, nurses stepped up when family members couldn’t visit their loved ones. The Mayor and I rallied the community to express our appreciation.”
Celebrated facilities include Ascension Seton Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Round Rock Medical Center and 425 Clinic, Brookdale Senior Living, Dell Children’s Medical Center, Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, People’s Community Clinic North and Women’s Health Center, St. David’s Medical Center, St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, Texas Neurorehab Center Bluebonnet and East Clinic, Veteran’s Affairs General Temple, and Westminster Senior Living.
“Our nurses are deserving of each and every one of the thousands of messages of thanks and encouragement that came from all over Central Texas this week”. “The crisis is not over and we’ll need their continued dedication and selflessness as we continue to move through this.” said Mayor Adler.
Sponsors include Ali Khataw Photography, American Innovations, Atlassian, Bank of America, Bob Wynn, Bryan Jones, Cathy Bonner, the Cristopher Foundation Fund, Elizabeth Stewart, Ellen & Brian Wood, Endeavor Real Estate Group, Eugene Sepulveda & Steven Tomlinson, Focus Strategies Investment Banking & Focus Strategies Merchant Investments, Forrest Preece, Graham Reynolds, Jared Lindauer, Jen Spencer, Jessica Zelenko, Jim Byerlotzer, Jodi Zipp, John Howard, Judith Berkowitz, Kendra Scott, the Kevin Cunningham Family, Linda Kemp, Lisa Webb, Localeur, Marc Winkelman, Mark McClain, Marsh Lavenue, Message.io, Mickey and Jeannie Klein, National Instruments, Pooja Sethi, Robbie Ausley, Ross Garber, Ryan Herzog, Sailpoint, Shelly Zausmer, Soul of the Heart Productions, Texas Mutual, UFCU, vcfo, and WP Engine.
A special shout out to Eric Silverstein and Peached Tortilla for helping execute this so quickly.
Learn more about the Entrepreneurs Foundation and how it supports the Austin community here.
