Nurses to be honored with luminaries May 12.

Nurses to be honored with luminaries May 12.

LUDINGTON — Luminary bags with special messages of support and gratitude will light up the night outside Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital as well as homes and neighborhoods in Mason and Oceana counties, and throughout west Michigan, on Tuesday, May 12, to mark the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and to recognize nurses and health care workers

Spectrum Health is asking community members to decorate and light luminaries May 12 at 9 p.m. for health care workers they want to honor in a display of solidarity and appreciation.

Ludington Hospital will have luminaries placed by employees, and community members are invited to display theirs at their homes, outside their front doors, along sidewalks or anyplace nearby while still maintaining social distancing. Luminaries can be made by using a lunch-sized bag, jar, or plastic milk jug, colorfully decorated, and with a battery-operated tea light inside. In addition, the SS Badger is scheduled to sound its horn to indicate the 9 p.m. moment for participants to display their luminaries.

“Ludington Hospital’s nurses and nursing staff are in the trenches every day, working with all our health care workers to improve health, inspire hope and save lives of the communities we serve in Mason and Oceana counties,” said Ludington Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Meleah Mariani. “To show our thanks for their compassion, courage and sacrifice, especially as we confront the COVID-19 pandemic, Ludington Hospital invites our community to join us in honoring our team members by safely displaying luminaries for them on the evening of May 12.”

People are asked to personalize and decorate their luminary bags by writing the name of a health care worker or nurse they want to honor along with a short message or colorful pictures. Luminaries can be made from lunch bags, milk jugs, mason jars, cans, or other items around the house, and lit from inside with a candle or tea light. For safety, it is recommended that a battery tea light be used.

Photos or short videos of family members decorating their bags and lighting their luminaries can be shared by messaging or posting in the comments on the Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital’s Facebook page.

Spectrum Health nurses are also receiving a special car/window decal, along with being recognized in various celebrations at all Spectrum Health hospitals throughout this week, designated as National Nurses Week.

National Nurses Week is celebrated each year from May 6 through May 12. Florence Nightingale was born May 12, 1820, and is generally considered the founder of modern nursing for her work during the Crimean War. Health Care Week is May 10 through May 16.