The Millstone Times June 2020

KIDS

Families in Millstone Celebrate 3rd Grade E lementary Teacher On May 7th 2020, during the Corona- virus shut-down, students and fami- lies of 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Mana- ro drove around, where they cheered, honked, and showed off signs to show her that they miss and support her through this coronavirus crisis.

F or sports fans of all ages, athletes are our heroes. We wear their jerseys while cheering for them as we watch their games. Idolizing them, we imitate their playing style and imagine us being in their shoes with the game on the line. In times of crisis, though, it is the everyday heroes that shine through. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes and spectators have sheltered in place, waiting for the day in which sports can resume. On the front lines, however, and being an inspiration to us all, are the doctors, nurses, supermarket workers, first respond- ers, and many more. These dedicated citizens show up day after day as essential workers despite the dangers they may face. Now, more than ever they have emerged as our true heroes. On Wednesday, May 6, 2020, National Nurses’ Day, our beloved sports stars honored the true heroes of the pandemic. Athletes wrote the name of a front line worker that they wanted to honor on a piece of tape and then adhered it over their own name on the back of one of their jerseys. The movement was dubbed #TheRealHeroes Project. The athletes recorded a short heartfelt video clip in which they discussed why they selected their front line workers and showed themselves proudly wearing their hero’s name. The videos were set to the soulful Beyoncé song “Halo”, inferring our frontline workers to be “angels”. Max's Minute By, Max Druckman

The project was organized in collaboration by 14 pro sports leagues, including the MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, MLS, WNBA, and NASCAR. From the soccer world, LA Galaxy superstar Chicharito joined the movement and World-Cup winner Carli Lloyd honored her front-line hero. Basketball players joined in with Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who recovered from coronavirus, and 2018 WNBA Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart. Football was represented by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees and All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Baseball players taking part included 2017 American League Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge and 2018 National League MVP Christian Yelich. Tennis players that honored heroes included 2019 Australian Open champ Naomi Osaka and rising star Coco Gauff. NASCAR drivers that partook were legend Kevin Harvick and 2019 champion Kyle Busch. Some athletes included personal stories in their tributes. Professional gamer Snip3down paid homage to his brother, a doctor. Tennis player Ash Barty praised her sister, an RN. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, widely considered to be the greatest hockey player ever, showed respect to the greatest women’s hockey player ever, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Hayley Wickenheiser, who is in her final year of medical school. The Real Heroes project was an inspirational way for athletes and fans to acknowledge and show gratitude to the true heroes of the Coronavirus Pan- demic. Doctors, nurses, and essential workers show courage and risk their lives every day to ensure that everyone is healthy and safe. These days, not all superheroes wear jerseys.

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/with-beyonce-as-the-soundtrack-the-sports-worlds-real-heroes-psa-goes-live/ https://www.nj.com/yankees/2020/05/therealheroes-yankees-aaron-judge-honors-coronavirus-frontline-healthcare-workers.html https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/05/04/major-league-soccer-joins-real-heroes-project-celebrate-healthcare-workers-fighting

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