Page 37 - May 2020

19th District perseveres with Sinatra tunes
n BY KAREN STAHL
“Haven’t got a care, happy all day through...”
The swinging melody from Frank Sinatra’s classic “It’s a Wonderful World” floated through the streets surrounding Brookdale Lake View Senior Home the evening of April 22. It wove in and out of the six-feet-apart crowd members, exud- ing necessary positivity the community needed.
John Vincent, a beloved singer who frequently belts out the national anthem at Cubs games, stood just outside the senior home for the second time that month to lighten the mood and give back to the 19th District.
“It brought out not only the seniors, but a lot of the community,” relayed Kellee Simz in the 19th District CAPS office, who helped organize the social- ly distanced concert as part of the dis- trict’s Spread Some Love initiative. “They brought the windows up and there were people out on the street, and they loved it.”
With emotions of the past couple months bubbling up, Vincent’s voice
evoked tears from one girl out on the street. Looking around, Simz felt im- mense pride in helping to provide the musical respite for both her community and her fellow officers.
“To see the smiles on [officers’] faces,”
she sighed. “It just lightens the whole mood.”
The bit of relief came as a welcome salute to the officers working to bat- tle COVID-19 every day. On that chilly Wednesday evening, Simz knew getting lost in lilting Frank Sinatra tunes was just what 19th District heroes needed to per- severe.
“The concert served to put a smile on faces [instead of them being] so serious all the time,” she shared, discussing the importance of the CAPS office orga- nizing uplifting events. “We have to get through it; we might as well get through it with someone else standing there near us.”
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