The 200-foot-tall St. Louis Wheel will be lighted in blue on Thursday, April 9 to honor healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Wheel, located at St. Louis Union Station, is part of the national #LightItBlue initiative with hundreds of buildings and landmarks across the country turned blue as a show of gratitude and support for healthcare professionals and essential workers on the front lines.
The St. Louis Wheel joins other observation wheels, sports stadiums and a growing list of national, regional and local landmarks and public buildings in the Light It Blue initiative, including the Capital Wheel in Washington, DC; Times Square in New York City; the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Jackson Square in New Orleans; Country Club Plaza in Kansas City; and the Space Needle in Seattle among many others. Locally the Downtown St. Louis streetlights also will be lighted blue.
The event, created as a universal symbol of solidarity and hope, was inspired by #ClapForOurCarers days held around the world and the UK #LightItBlue initiative in which more than 130 buildings, bridges and landmarks across the United Kingdom joined in.
The lighting of buildings and LED screens in the United States on April 9 will be timed to coincide with another round of #ClapBecauseWeCare with Americans encouraged to clap from their homes, windows and balconies at 8 p.m.