Many ways to help in crisis
From the arts to public health, the commonwealth community is banding together
April should have been a celebration of the arts in the commonwealth. The Virginia Arts Festival, an annual event that puts a spotlight on music, dance and theater, scheduled performances throughout the month that would have delighted thousands of spectators, as they have every year since 1997.
Then came the coronavirus and, as we all know painfully well, that changed everything.
Dozens of events were postponed. Some have been rescheduled and others cancelled, including the incredibly popular Virginia International Tattoo, which each year brings to Norfolk’s Scope Arena some of the world’s most talented and precise military bands, pipe and drum corps, drill teams and dancers.
For many holding tickets to these events, the postponement and cancellations of these events comes as a disappointment. For many in this region and across the commonwealth, the Virginia Arts Festival holds a special place on the calendar and a year without it is heartbreaking.
For the festival organizers, however, no events mean no revenue. And that spells trouble for a nonprofit that depends on its annual festival to survive, as do so many arts-focused organizations. Those who have the means to do so should consider making a donation to help, and those holding tickets to cancelled events can choose to donate the cost to the festival.
And that’s not to say that the Virginia Arts Festival has closed the shutters on the region or abandoned arts lovers at a time of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. On May 1 at 9 p.m., WHRO TV will broadcast the 2016 International Tattoo to help lift the spirits of Hampton Roads residents and celebrate our area’s rich military tradition.
For those who attend every year, the broadcast should help soothe some of the soreness from missing out in 2020. For those who’ve never attended, let curiosity be your guide and tune in to what the fuss is all about.
Perhaps in 2021, when the tattoo returns, the performers will be greeted by a new group of enthusiasts eager to see the excitement live and in person.
Of course, that seems quite a ways away — a point in the distance that’s hard to imagine in our changed reality of mask wearing and frequent hand sanitizing. Getting there promises to be difficult since Virginia is not yet over the hump — past the apex of the curve — in its handling of the virus.
Toward that end, Gov. Ralph Northam — a physician in case you somehow forgot — has called several times for volunteers to serve in the Virginia Medical Reserve
Corps, a team of medical and public health professionals who can answer the commonwealth’s call in times of crisis.
In an April 15 press release, the governor’s office said nearly 15,000 people had signed up to help, nearly a third of those coming in recent weeks. But the administration estimates that 30,000 volunteers in all will be needed to see Virginia through these difficult times.
The emphasis is on medical professionals — nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students are in high demand — but those without medical training can also pitch in. Those with skills in “logistics, communication, coordination, technology and other support” can be of service as well.
Those with the determination and wherewithal to help should visit vamrc.org to sign up. While that’s not the only avenue to make a difference in crisis, it’s one sure way to help.
Finally, a note of thanks to all the professional legislative staff and other personnel in Richmond this week tasked with holding a General Assembly session in the most extraordinary circumstances. Lawmakers may command the spotlight, but those women and men who kept things on track deserve appreciation from a grateful commonwealth.
As always on Friday, a reminder that the Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot continue to highlight stories such as this, of people assisting others, through a series called “The Helpers.” Anyone with suggestions for the series is urged to email us at tips@pilotonline.com.