Wanting to bring some positivity to an otherwise bleak coronavirus pandemic throughout the state, Deborah Sternberg has found a way to honor Louisiana’s essential workers through the “19 Thanks” initiative, which is picking up steam in its second month of existence.
Back in April, Sternberg—the former president of Starmount Life Insurance who more recently launched the local Young Entrepreneurs Academy chapter—began the initiative, which aims to encourage Louisiana residents to express their gratitude for all the state’s essential workers, from health care professionals to grocery store clerks, garbage collectors and others keeping the state’s economy running.
Here’s how it works: Individuals, organizations and places of worship throughout the state are encouraged to ring a bell 19 times at 1900 hours (7 p.m.) on the 19th of every month to show their appreciation for essential workers. If they don’t have a bell handy, they can bang a pot or pan 19 times instead as a reminder that there are plenty of people who are hungry and rely on food banks. The first virtual event took place April 19, and the second—which is Saints-themed—will occur May 19 at 7 p.m.
“We’re reaching out to musicians across the state in hopes they’ll record themselves playing, ‘When the Saints Go Marching In,'” Sternberg says, noting participants are encouraged to take 19 minutes to sing, dance, parade in yards, “mask”-erade, decorate and second-line with their families. “We’re still working out the details, but we have some radio stations that have agreed to play the song at 7 p.m. on the 19th.”
People can post notes or videos with messages of appreciation through the social media channels associated with 19thanks.org(including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), using the hashtag #19thanks. Through the website, people can donate to Feeding Louisiana to support regional food banks and to their local United Way chapter to fund community response efforts.
While it initially attracted support from Gov. John Bel Edwards, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sternberg says the initiative has since grown to draw financial support from ExxonMobil, Hancock Whitney, Regions Bank and Entergy Louisiana, with those dollars going toward paid advertising and creative strategies from Red Six Media to help get the word out.
To that end, Sternberg also plans for there to be more social media content posted this month compared to last.
“We have a lot of angles and a lot of interest from entities across the state,” Sternberg says. “The biggest thing we’re working on is broadening the team. This is truly a statewide ‘thank you,’ so we want the moment of thanks to come from all areas of our state.”
Any musician interested in getting involved with the May 19 celebration can email thanks@19thanks.org to receive more information, or visit www.19thanks.org.
