Toronto family supports frontline workers from porch amid COVID-19 pandemic

Family cheers on health-care workers from porch An Ontario family is cheering on their sons and other essential workers helping the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

TORONTO — A Toronto woman says every evening she stands on her porch and cheers on her sons and other frontline workers who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 24 days straight, Lee Scott said she’s been ringing cowbells and dancing and singing to music on her doorstep to send a message of hope and support from afar.

"Every night we've been choosing a different cheerleading song, as well as banging pots and pans, and shouting out to neighbours and anyone who walks by," Scott told CTV News Toronto Tuesday afternoon.

Scott, her husband, Greg Stephanian, and her son, Jason, are taking part in a Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario campaign to cheer for health-care workers every evening, in person and online.

"It's something we can do to help show we're supporting the frontliners," says Greg Stephanian. "And it’s fun and it's a good reason to get out and say hello to your neighbours every night."

Two of the couple’s children are frontline workers. One son, who is a nurse, was recently in isolation after being exposed to COVID-19.

"He's got a great attitude about it. He's positive, but, you know, they really are at the front of this, so yeah, I worry," his brother Jason said.

Even though he tested negative for COVID-19 and was cleared to return to work, the concern persists. The family says that it is for him and his colleagues that they put on the nightly show.

"There's a process to choosing the song every day. We make a new sign every day to put in our window afterward,” Lee said.

“It's funny how it feels like you've got all day to do that, but all of the sudden it's a mad rush at the last-minute to step out for 7:30.”

The windows of the family's home are coated with heart-shaped signs with messages like, “thank you fabulous frontliners."

The daily endeavour, they said, is nothing short of a true labour of love and head out no matter the weather.

And while the state of emergency continues, the family says it will keep doing what it can to lift people's spirits a little every day.

"As long as the health-care workers and frontliners are out there, we'll be there," Jason said.