White heart on Vernon hospital shows thanks for health workers

Photo: VJH Foundation

Many in town have noticed a large, white heart illuminating the Vernon sky over Vernon Jubilee Hospital recently. The heart light is part of the White Heart Project being put on by the Vernon Jubilee Foundation – a campaign for the public to express their thanks for health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our White Heart Project is still ongoing, and this was a really nice touch," says Kate McBrearty, Executive Director of the VJH Foundation. "Not only does it light up, but it has a pulsing feature that we can use through a smartphone app."

The heart is a permanent structure, similar to the Light a Bulb tree, and it was installed on May 1. McBrearty says the labour costs of installing the heart were on the house, courtesy of Black & McDonald Ltd.

"Although our maintenance staff is very busy with regular duties, we rose to the challenge," says Dave Frost, Division Manager for B&M. "With the help of Brad Hanson from Accent lighting, we were able to not only illuminate it, but have the inner portion flash to a “heartbeat” that is controlled by an app."

You can view the messages of gratitude on the Foundation's website, and you can participate in the White Hearts Project on social media using the hashtag #whiteheartsforVJH.