A large police presence shut down a portion of Broad Street in Philadelphia on Wednesday. In this case, officers weren’t responding to a crime, but instead, it was to something that they hope will help kids in need of a little joy.
Outside of Shriners Hospital for Children, dozens of officers flashed their police lights and blasted their emergency sirens while a helicopter hovered above for an event known as “Good Night Lights.”
The goal of the event, which is now in its seventh year, is to brighten up the day for seriously ill kids going through treatment at the hospital.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Sgt. Michael Cerruti, who is the chairman of the Michael the Archangel Ministry Program. “It brings tears to your eyes when you see the children come down and they’re smiling. And they just want to meet their heroes, and they consider us their heroes, and it’s just an amazing thing.”
Some of the kids got a chance to take a break from their treatment to watch from outside, while others looked on from their hospital window as officers waved their lights as a show of support.
“We want them to know that they are not alone,” Daniel Solecki, of Michael the Archangel Ministry Program, said. “And that they have a community that supports them. We think about them. We pray for them, and this is just a little way. If we can show a little change in their routine daily, from the regimen, the physical therapy and the medical conditions, then hopefully we shined a light on their lives.”
It was a small gesture that they hope will make a big difference.