Bald Eagle seniors applaud medical workers with song

Since the Coronavirus lockdown began, residents of the Bald Eagle Commons (BEC) Senior Citizen Community have been showing support and appreciation for their medical workers, and promoting patriotism and optimism in the community.

With Coronavirus restrictions on visitations mandated by the state for Senior Living Facilities and nursing homes, the medical staff and fellow residents were the only in-person contacts many of the seniors have had for several months.

According to Mary O’Connell, whose mother lives in the BEC Community, the residents have been greeting medical workers and other essential staff coming and going in their buildings each day with applause as the workers begin or complete performing their essential duties for the day.

Promoting patriotism and optimism - through song

O’Connell’s mom, Ann Fitzpatrick, is a feisty, independent, 103 year-old resident of BEC Building 2. Having lately experienced some health issues that required brief hospitalizations, Fitzpatrick recently agreed to have a part-time aide come by a couple times a week - but only to give her family some “peace of mind.” She likes to stay active.

Fitzpatrick shared with her daughter that she and her friends from BEC Building #2 have been singing “God Bless America” together from their condo windows each evening since the lockdown started.

Fitzpatrick told her, “It began spontaneously with one lone voice, then one by one the windows went up and the chorus began.”

The impromptu community chorus at the Commons continues to grow.

As Covid-19 restrictions have eased up a bit, and the weather has become warmer, some residents have begun to gather outdoors in the “Common Courtyard” near the Building #2 gazebo to sing. BEC residents from Buildings #1 and #4 have since joined the Building #2 singing group outdoors as well.

“I think it’s outstanding,” O’Connell said. “It brought a smile to my face when mom told me about it.”

The outdoor singers meet up in the Courtyard each evening - wearing their masks and maintaining social distancing requirements - and prepare to sing “God Bless America” together precisely at 5 p.m.

Some bring small flags to wave as they sing.

BEC residents that are unable to go out to the courtyard, sit readily by their open windows as the 5 p.m. hour approaches, so they too can join in on the singing.

And they all agreed with Fitzpatrick’s description of how it started - with one lone voice.

‘Window singers’

According to the singers in the courtyard, the lone voice that started it all belonged to BEC Building #2 resident, Shirley Pearlman. They also credited Pearlman as the one that began arranging the outdoor part of the chorus - encouraging some of her friends and fellow residents to get outdoors for a bit: in the fresh air, in the green grass, and in the sunshine, to sing together. And they have been doing so ever since.

One of the resident singers recalled how they even sang outside on the day of the late spring snowfall - a memory shared that brought a chuckle to the group.

Pearlman said the Courtyard group has had as many as twenty participants at once, plus the “window singers.”

Due to her family’s concern for her health, Fitzpatrick is one of those residents who looks forward to singing from her window.

Her daughter O’Connell said the community singing together adds “Just a bit of community positivity in these times of strife and stress.”