Lewisburg Press Conference about Community COVID Response

The following serves as a Press Announcement and Press Release that can be printed in whole or in part:

Lewisburg Borough is Putting a Spotlight on Our COVID-19 Response: Bringing Health, Prosperity, Courage, and Unity to the Fore

 

Lewisburg, PA – Lewisburg Borough invites the press and public to an in-person press conference, with distancing, hygiene, and masks, on Monday, August 24, at 2:00 pm in Hufnagle Park (rain location:  William Cameron Engine House). Community leaders, business leaders, health care professionals, and local non-profits are banding together to highlight positive community responses to the pandemic. The event will focus on various initiatives collaborating with the regional Spotlight: Orange campaign, the COVID-Safe Pledge, and the Orange Ribbon program.

Many institutions are stepping up for the health of the Valley: the regional Chamber of Commerce created the Responsible Re-entry program; the Statewide Chamber of Business and Industry launched the Bringing Back PA and #WhyIWearIt campaigns; Evangelical Community Hospital has been at the forefront of the ongoing pandemic response; Bucknell University has rolled out its Bucknell Together reopening plan; and Lewisburg Borough combines initiatives like Open Air Dining and park picnic circles with an ongoing commitment to public health, safety, and continuity of services.

Come hear about these proactive responses to COVID-19 from Mayor Judy Wagner, Evangelical Community Hospital CEO Kendra Aucker, Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber President and CEO Robert Garrett, Bucknell University – invited, Borough Special Projects Coordinator Kim Wheeler, Lewisburg Downtown Partnership Director Ellen Ruby, Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way Director of Development and Marketing Seth Joseph, and Lewisburg Borough Council President Debra Sulai.

All of these projects share a central goal of uplifting our community during this challenging time. The regional umbrella of Spotlight: Orange communicates the intention to be proactive about public health. The Orange Ribbon program helps individuals to identify the local businesses and organizations taking public health and economic recovery seriously.

Public health and economic recovery are intertwined. Lewisburg Borough is committed to doing what needs to be done to keep infection numbers low and our reopening on track. We need everyone in the community to step up, too. Public health is a collection of individual choices. Let’s join together in the name of doing what’s right to support our neighbors and protect local businesses. #ForTheHealthOfTheValley #MasksKeepBusinessesOpen

As Union County moves into a new stage with our schools reopening, we are embracing the civic-minded messaging of the Spotlight: Orange project. We are working to simultaneously highlight Health, Prosperity, Courage, and Unity. Join us Monday as we will:

  • Put a spotlight on Health – expressing our appreciation for and dependence on regional health care providers and hearing directly from Kendra Aucker, the leader of Evangelical Community Hospital, about her institution’s role in public health and OUR role in public health
  • Put a spotlight on Prosperity – emphasizing the importance of recognizing that public health and the economy are tied together and hearing from Bob Garrett, the leader of the GSV Chamber of Commerce about his organization’s Responsible Reopening Initiative and the statewide Bringing Back PA and #WhyIWearIt campaigns
  • Put a spotlight on Courage – highlighting our creative responses to the conundrums of our times, and hearing from Lewisburg Downtown Partnership leader Ellen Ruby about using design and responsive communications to try to make COVID-safe public spaces and events available to all in support of local businesses
  • Put a spotlight on Unity – pointing out the importance of unified action and common purpose, hearing from Borough leaders, Judy Wagner, Kim Wheeler, and Debra Sulai, about our staunch promotion of doing the right thing and following the guidance of the scientific community at this time

Lewisburg Borough is proud of what we are already doing, concerned about rising cases in our county, and certain that together we can take action to secure our safe reopening. We are glad to partner with Evangelical Community Hospital, the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, Bucknell University, the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way, Lewisburg Neighborhoods, and the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership in promoting the Spotlight: Orange campaign. Consistent messaging and leadership are keys to a successful public health response. We encourage everyone to sign on to the Spotlight: Orange COVID-Safe Pledge and work for public health and economic health in our community!

Spotlight: Orange is a collaborative project of the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way and the community at large. All are welcome to engage with the materials and support the health of the Valley. For other ways to get involved, please email spotlightorangegroup@gmail.com or call 570-415-1999.

Help spread the message about mask-wearing by visiting spotlightorange.com/masks, which has images and poster graphics that can be shared or printed out. Follow the links to sign the COVID-Safe Pledge at spotlightorange.com/maskpledge.

 

_________

Media contacts:

Judy Wagner, jwagner@lewisburgborough.org, 570-412-9385

Samantha Pearson, elmstreet@windstream.net, 570-713-7275

 

*Rain Location: William Cameron Fire Station, 11 Buffalo Road, Lewisburg