Local Hospitals To 'Light Up The Sky' In Support Of Healthcare Workers, First Responders

Several local hospitals, businesses, and churches are coming together on Tuesday to “Light Up the Sky” as a way to show appreciation to the doctors, nurses, and first responders still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting Tuesday night, you will see several places lit up with blue lights to remind everyone in the medical field that there are still people thinking of them.

All six northeastern Oklahoma Ascension locations, OSU Medical, St. Francis, other hospitals, local businesses, and churches are lighting up blue tonight out of support.

There will also be a ceremony at each Ascension hospital that begins with a military flyover going over each location between 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. It will start in Owasso and end in Broken Arrow.

The public is invited to come to any Ascension medical center for an outdoor prayer service at 8 p.m.

If you would like to participate, you can go to any of the listed addresses below.

1. Ascension St. John Medical Center 
2. Davis Tower open parking lot (19th Street and Utica Avenue)
3. Participating churches: Christ the King, Church of Saint Mary, Historic Vernon AME
4. Ascension St. John Jane Phillips (Bartlesville)
5. Helipad and adjacent parking lot 
6. Participating Churches: Crossroads Baptist Church
7. Ascension St. John Owasso 
8. Parking lot left of the circle drive 
9. Participating Churches: Owasso First Assembly Church
10. Ascension St. John Broken Arrow 
11. Parking lot right of the circle drive 
12. Participating Churches: St. Anne Catholic Church
13. Ascension St. John Sapulpa 
14. Parking lot in front of the emergency room  
15. Participating Churches: Sacred Heart Catholic Church
16. Ascension St. John Nowata 
17. Parking lot in front of the emergency room 
18. Participating Churches: Cornerstone Church

Ascension Chief Mission Integration Officer Ron Tremblay said sometimes it seems like people forget there are still medical workers in the thick of the pandemic.

“Early in the pandemic we were receiving cards and food and all kinds of outpourings of support and the tide has kind of turned and waned in the 20 months of the pandemic,” Tremblay said. “We wanted to lift them up and let them know we support them pray for them encourage them.”

People participating from home, from work or at an Ascension site are encouraged to post photos and videos of their vigil. Use the hashtag #LightUpTheSky and tag Ascension St. John on social media so that our healthcare workers and first responders can see your support during this challenging time. In addition, community members are encouraged to light up their houses in blue to help commemorate this memorable event for our frontline workers.

There will also be blue ribbons given out to anyone that wants to tie it on their mailbox or home to show support.