A group of neighbours in London Ont.’s Westmount area paid their 100th consecutive day of tribute for front-line workers and first responders fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic Tuesday evening.
Gary Bezaire, a patrol sergeant with London Police Service as well as the organizer of the final cheer spoke with 980 CFPL’s Craig Needles on Friday.
He said it was an amazing feeling seeing the neighbours on Blackthorne Crescent cheer them on, day after day.
Bezaire says he even saw a full band playing once.
“It was quite the sight.”
The patrol sergeant is not a resident of the area himself, but says he’s visited the crescent 15 to 20 times, and tries to stop by “… every night that I’m working at that time.”
For its final cheer on Tuesday, Bezaire invited police, other first responders and nurses to drive down to the crescent together.
“I brought a couple of other officers with me and one of the newer people,” Bezaire explained.
“I told him ‘this is going to be the best thing you’re ever going to see in your career.’ I didn’t tell him what it was, I just told him to follow me, and at the end, he said ‘that was awesome.'”
Bezaire says the energy and positivity of these neighbours helped first responders get through the pandemic.
“There’s been times when it’s tough to work on the front lines, on the streets… To have this community do this on our behalf and to show their appreciation, it’s been awesome and motivating to know that people really do appreciate us.”