Baltimore leaders are calling on residents to clap, cheer or honk their car horns at 7 p.m. today to show support front-line employees who are working during the coronavirus pandemic.
The city has started highlighting municipal workers on social media, a group that includes a shift supervisor at the city’s Visitation Center to prevent domestic violence, a driver with the Bureau of Solid Waste, a battalion chief with the fire department and a building repairer.
Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young acknowledged those individuals at a press conference on Friday and invited citizens to join him and the council in cheering on workers.
“Our city is strong, resilient, and most importantly, compassionate,” he said. “Collectively we will recover from this pandemic.”
The Baltimore City Council on Monday adopted a resolution from City Councilwoman Shannon Sneed to make May 1 “Charm City Cheers” Day, recognizing “medical professionals, truck drivers, teachers, delivery and grocery store workers” and many others who have kept the city going during the crisis.
On Twitter, City Council President Brandon Scott thanked Sneed for the resolution and observed that May 1 is also International Workers’ Day.
Happy International Workers and Charm City Cheers Day! I would like to give a special thank you to all of our frontline workers that are risking their lives during this #COVID19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/jlENEAA8qM
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) May 1, 2020
I’ll bet they prefer a raise over some car horns.