Saturday Evening June 17th - Tacos and Hasbro Children's Hospital Goodnight Lights

GarlicFarts · Jun 5, 2023

https://www.goodnightlights.org/about

5PM - Come get some Tacos (and a beer?) at Union Bar and Burrito in East Providence's Riverside Square. Plenty of parking on the road/nearby, picnic tables outside, and delicious tacos and empanadas. Milkshakes and cheesecake are on the menu.

And the owner just emailed me - they got a new brick oven pizza oven out on the patio!!

https://www.unionburrito.com/

Ice Cream more your thing? Dari Bee (cash only, FYI) is right next door.

Everything is accessible via trucks and roads, or the East Bay Bike Path.

Time is flexible. Ill get there around 5 and hang out. Don't have to be there for 5, it's just an afternoon of tacos. Come whenever.

8PM - We'll round up the troops and head up to a spot to join in on the goodnight lights at 8:30. Bring your trucks, your flashlights, your bike headlights, your cell phone lights, drone lights (check legality, I have no idea), you name it.

Kids, parents, grand parents, dogs, cats, ferrets, everyone is welcome. Toyotas, Fords, Jee...Okay, fine, Jeeps... the more the merrier!

The “Good Night Lights” project started on the spur of the moment one night in May of 2010. As Resident Cartoonist at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, I was finishing up a visit with a mid-teen patient I had gotten to know over several weeks. He was happily being discharged the next day and we realized we might not ever see each other again. Looking out his window, it struck me that the route to my bus stop was visible, including a corner near Davol Square about a quarter mile away.

I told my young friend I would be at that corner at a certain time and would turn my bike (I’m a bus/bike commuter) towards the hospital to flash a good-night signal with a light mounted on my handlebars. He assured me he’d watch for it.

I left the hospital that night and flashed the signal back towards the patient’s room as scheduled. To my surprise—and delight—I suddenly saw the rectangle of his window blink on and off in reply. He had figured out that I would see this acknowledgement of our final connection. I smiled all the way home thinking about the exchange.

As time went on, I arranged the same good-night signal with other patients, eventually figuring out that quite a few rooms had a view to my bus stop itself on South Water Street. From there, if I pointed a good flashlight from over a steel fence, I could send a signal that was easily seen from the hospital. Since my stop was near The Hot Club, I told patients—and their family members—to look for my signal just to the right of the club’s brightly glowing red sign.

This good-night signal became standard procedure for me with all patients who had a view towards my bus stop. Often they would signal back with a blink of their room lights. On nights when the patients themselves had already gone to sleep, I would sometimes get blinked signals back from parents using their cell phone lights or small flashlights they might have with them.

From the beginning I was surprised to know how exciting this simple exchange was for patients and their families. Perhaps the simplicity is what made it so enjoyable. I eventually started sending a four-flash signal as a way of making it clear the blinking light out there was me: “Good Night Has-Bro,” sometimes altering the number of flashes to correspond with the syllables in a patient’s name, such as: “Good Night Ben-Ja-Min.”

Oncology patients (Tomorrow Fund kids) treated on Hasbro 5 generally had a good view towards my bus stop and their extended stays allowed me to make the good-night signal a regular part of their nights. I also got to hear reviews and reactions from them regarding the exchange when I saw them again. I heard comments like, “That was the best thing that happened to me all day.” Statements like that came from other patients as well including those treated on Hasbro 4 and 6.

In the summer of 2015, while on vacation with time to think, I started working on the idea of creating something bigger with the good-night signal. In my sketchbook I made note of businesses with line-of-sight to the hospital as prospective signalers. I struggled with a title for the program and settled on “Good Night Lights.” Simple as it sounds, I like the separation of the words as reinforcement to their respective meaning as well as the subtle pun.

In the fall of 2015 I started talking up the program with nurses and Child Life staff and determined that one minute of signaling from 8:30-8:31 would be ideal for most patients when it came to bedtime and visibility throughout the year. I chose The Hot Club as the first business to approach since I had been using their sign as a marker for my signal for years.

Sarah Bates, one of the owners of The Hot Club, was immediately on board and couldn’t wait to get started. I asked her to consider blinking the Hot Club sign itself in a four-flash sequence for one minute and she ran with the idea. After a successful “test flash” it was determined that the signal would become a nightly thing for The Hot Club. Very quickly club patrons were jumping in with flash and cell phone lights from the deck along the Providence River. The blinking room lights of the patients in response further inspired The Hot Club’s participation.

I also approached the tugboats of The Providence Steamboat Company and their management and crews were also immediately into the program. When crewmen are available, they use the powerful searchlights on the boats to flash “good night” to the patients. On rare occasion they blow the horns on the boats to accompany the signal. If nothing else, the office dispatcher uses a powerful hand-held spotlight to send a nightly signal.

The Biltmore Hotel was also very warm to the idea of joining Good Night Lights and in 2015 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve they turned their massive neon sign off for a minute as a dramatic way of participating. They have now become an every night signaler thanks to a bright automated beacon they installed on their roof.

Media attention has raised awareness for the program and I’m hoping it will help propel it to a spectacular level. There are new participants signing on weekly. Participating hotels (Biltmore, Omni and Hilton Garden Inn) are also planning on promoting participation to their guests, opening up unlimited possibilities for the display. The Residences building also plans to promote the project to its residents. Tockwotton on the Waterfront senior center has participated from early on with seniors using powerful flashlights one night a week to connect with HCH patients.

I have dreams of seeing many more participating signalers in the near future. I want to grow this “Minute of Magic” into a tradition that any hospitalized child can look forward to on any night they look out their window at 8:30. In the process I believe a community of light can be created in Providence, sharing sixty seconds of good will every day without monetary expense or burdensome effort.

When I have crazy dreams, I see “Good Night Lights” catching on in other cities with children’s hospitals. The project delivers a disproportionate amount of reward for participants when they realize that by simply blinking a light for one minute they can make a hospitalized child feel better.

Good Night Lights picked up a sponsor for flashlights early on in COAST Products of Portland, OR. COAST found out that I was using one of its lights to produce my signal from my bike and has since donated well over 200 high quality flashlights to the project. The Tomorrow Fund for Children with Cancer has been “powering” the project by providing the batteries.
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Here is a Facebook event to mirror this - share and get it out there!

GarlicFarts · May 1, 2023

@mach1man001 @AllTacosFloat @RockfishTaco @Skierrichy @CTSpruceMica

AllTacosFloat · May 1, 2023

In!

@jpereira2 ,@EricM you guys aren’t too far

RockfishTaco · May 1, 2023

Count me in.

jpereira2 · May 1, 2023

AllTacosFloat said: ↑

In!

@jpereira2 ,@EricM you guys aren’t too far
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That's Father's day weekend right? I'll be with the fam camping, other than needing to drive back for my daughter's pre school graduation

Skierrichy · May 25, 2023

GarlicFarts[OP] said: ↑

@mach1man001 @AllTacosFloat @RockfishTaco @Skierrichy @CTSpruceMica
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If my truck isn't in the shop im down but not sure at this point.

GarlicFarts · Jun 14, 2023

AllTacosFloat said: ↑

In!

@jpereira2 ,@EricM you guys aren’t too far
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RockfishTaco said: ↑

Count me in.
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Skierrichy said: ↑

If my truck isn't in the shop im down but not sure at this point.
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@mach1man001 @DoubleRGirl @CTSpruceMica

Saturday! Weather looks cloudy, maybe a chance of showers, but should be good!

There's a boat parade at 7:30 so we might head up to the lookout spot earlier, but I'll be at Tacos at 5!

CTSpruceMica · Jun 14, 2023

GarlicFarts[OP] said: ↑

@mach1man001 @DoubleRGirl @CTSpruceMica

Saturday! Weather looks cloudy, maybe a chance of showers, but should be good!

There's a boat parade at 7:30 so we might head up to the lookout spot earlier, but I'll be at Tacos at 5!
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Obligation...can't make it unfortunately

RockfishTaco · Jun 14, 2023

I’m still in. I’ll be there for tacos at 5

mach1man001 · Jun 15, 2023

GarlicFarts[OP] said: ↑

@mach1man001 @DoubleRGirl @CTSpruceMica

Saturday! Weather looks cloudy, maybe a chance of showers, but should be good!

There's a boat parade at 7:30 so we might head up to the lookout spot earlier, but I'll be at Tacos at 5!
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Sorry Rob, I'm going to have to miss this one. I'm taking my wife and 14yo son to see the Dave Matthews Band.

AllTacosFloat · Jun 16, 2023

Sorry, I also have to bail. My father canceled our Father’s Day plans for Sunday (has dialysis ) so moved it to Saturday night.

GarlicFarts · Jun 16, 2023

RockfishTaco said: ↑

I’m still in. I’ll be there for tacos at 5
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mach1man001 said: ↑

Sorry Rob, I'm going to have to miss this one. I'm taking my wife and 14yo son to see the Dave Matthews Band.
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AllTacosFloat said: ↑

Sorry, I also have to bail. My father canceled our Father’s Day plans for Sunday (has dialysis ) so moved it to Saturday night.
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No worries y'all. I'm going to call this one off since it would just be Nate and I, I'll plan another one for the fall sometime.

@Skierrichy FYI No go.

mach1man001 · Jun 16, 2023

GarlicFarts[OP] said: ↑

No worries y'all. I'm going to call this one off since it would just be Nate and I, I'll plan another one for the fall sometime.

@Skierrichy FYI No go.
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Just let me know. I'll be glad to attend whenever I can.

Merling · Jun 17, 2023

Feel free to tag me in on the fall.
Hope everyone has a good Father’s Day weekend.

Toolndie7 · Jun 19, 2023

you might want to try https://www.blackducktavern.com/ Its right down the hill from the lookout.

I live about 1mi down the road from union burrito and am not really a fan of their food.

GarlicFarts · Jun 19, 2023

Toolndie7 said: ↑

you might want to try https://www.blackducktavern.com/ Its right down the hill from the lookout.

I live about 1mi down the road from union burrito and am not really a fan of their food.
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I live by the cumbies in Riverside

Black Duck would be good, Union was the choice because of the square, way more space there. But will look around for next time. I don't know if Blounts is open by the carousel this year or not for next time.

Toolndie7 · Jun 19, 2023

GarlicFarts[OP] said: ↑

I live by the cumbies in Riverside
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Whoa, whoa whoa, thats kent heights. all the rivi's know riverside ends at dead mans curve Haha.

GarlicFarts · Jun 19, 2023

Toolndie7 said: ↑

Whoa, whoa whoa, thats kent heights. all the rivi's know riverside ends at dead mans curve Haha.
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Saturday Evening June 17th - Tacos and Hasbro Children's Hospital Goodnight Lights

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Saturday Evening June 17th - Tacos and Hasbro Children's Hospital Goodnight Lights

#1 GarlicFarts [OP] Bertolli Roberto

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#1
GarlicFarts [OP] Bertolli Roberto

#2
GarlicFarts [OP] Bertolli Roberto

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AllTacosFloat If yours sank you’re entitled to compensation

#4
RockfishTaco Well-Known Member

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jpereira2 Well-Known Member

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Skierrichy MadRad

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GarlicFarts [OP] Bertolli Roberto

#8
CTSpruceMica Is a hotdog a sandwich?

#9
RockfishTaco Well-Known Member

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mach1man001 eh whatever

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AllTacosFloat If yours sank you’re entitled to compensation

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GarlicFarts [OP] Bertolli Roberto

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mach1man001 eh whatever

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Merling Well-Known Member

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