Lighting the sky for those who save lives

It’s 8 p.m. Look up in the sky. Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s giant spotlights illuminating the space above Broken Sound Club, 2401 Willow Springs Drive, in Boca Raton.

Think of it as a bat signal for the reallife superheroes who are saving lives and keeping our communities going during the coronavirus pandemic: physicians, nurses, lab techs and maintenance teams; police; EMT teams and firefighters; government agencies, sanitation and maintenance personnel, National Guard troops; truckers; pharmacies, grocery store and restaurant personnel; nonprofit workers, volunteers and news media.

The salute in the sky has been happening for a week now and will continue every night from 8 to 10 p.m. until Sunday, April 12.

Club members also come out in front of their homes to rally three minutes of applause, and club officials are asking everyone within a 5-mile radius to join in.

“We at Broken Sound Club are joining the great cities throughout Europe that are lighting up their communities as a bright beacon of hope and gratitude for those working ‘round the clock at their own self-sacrifice to heal, save and protect lives,” John Crean, Broken Sound Club’s general manager and COO, said in a statement on behalf of BSC President Eric Bershad and the club’s board of governors. “We wanted to provide a way to come together as a club community while welldistanced, and the ‘front-porch’ applause plan is the ideal way to sound our message and inspire others to join us. We encourage everyone to be as loud as possible in their personal participation, which can include beeping car horns and cheering.”

JENNIFER LETT/SUN SENTINEL PHOTOS Spotlights illuminate the night sky at Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton as a salute to medical workers, first responders and others involved in the fight against the coronavirus.

The Minerva family rode their bikes to the Broken Sound Club to enjoy an illuminated sky in Boca Raton. In appreciation for city and county leadership and all those who are on the front lines helping to heal and save lives through the COVID-19 crisis, Broken Sound Club will be illuminating the sky and its clubhouse from 8 to 10 p.m. every night until April 12.

General Manager of Broken Sound Club, Jon Crean, from left, President of Board of Governors Eric Bershad and President of Broken Sound Master Association Howard Tarler are shown 6 feet apart at Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton.