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US venues to #LightItBlue to support essential workers

A number of venues across the US will turn blue later today (Thursday) in tribute to essential workers on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The #LightItBlue campaign will see major-league stadia and arenas show their support, with venues encouraged to go blue at 8pm local time. More than 150 major sports and entertainment venues, landmarks and historic buildings will use LED technology to illuminate in blue and post messages of support.

Venues that will take part will include Los Angeles’ Staples Center, Soldier Field in Chicago and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Other venues will include Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (pictured), Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Glendale’s Gila River Arena and State Farm Stadium, Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, Houston’s Minute Maid Park and NRG Stadium, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, Inglewood’s The Forum, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Minneapolis’ US Bank Stadium, New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center, New York’s Madison Square Garden, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, Seattle’s CenturyLink Field, and Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena.

The #LightItBlue campaign originated in the UK, with London’s Wembley Stadium lighting its iconic arch blue last month in tribute to the NHS.

The activations across the US will be carried out using existing resources in accordance with local stay-at-home guidelines. Americans will be also invited to join in with the campaign by wearing blue, decorating windows and doorways in blue and sharing their own images and messages using the #LightItBlue hashtag.

Lead organiser of the initiative, Joe Zenas, chief executive at design and production agency Thinkwell Group, said: “We’ve been so inspired over the past few weeks by the cheers of our neighbours around the world – and we wanted to bring this collective gratitude to an even bigger stage here in the US.

“This is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from those of us at home to those of us who are going to work each day to keep our country going.”

Image: Business Wire