Brenau fountain goes blue for health care workers

The Grace Hooten Moore Memorial Fountain is lit blue in support of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. (AJ Reynolds/Brenau University)

Grace Hooten Moore Memorial Fountain on Brenau University’s historic Gainesville, Georgia, campus was recently illuminated in blue in support of health care professionals on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

Electrician Chris Ledbetter of Brenau’s Aramark facilities staff came up with the idea.

“Being so close to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, I just figured it’d be a nice thing to do,” Ledbetter said.

Facility Director Luther Headley, whose staff continues to work on campus in preparation for fall classes, called the gesture “solid support for what’s going on in the community.”

“It’s a positive way to show that Brenau cares,” he said.

The fountain is just the latest show of goodwill for its neighbor of 44 years and where many Brenau alumni, students and employees are on staff.

In late March, Brenau’s Ivester College of Health Sciences donated hundreds of boxes of gloves, masks and N-95 respirators to Northeast Georgia Health System. The donation was organized by Heather Ross, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, and her husband, Matt, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student at Brenau and patient care tech at NGMC.

Matt Ross also recently delivered thank you cards and cookies from his daughter’s Girl Scout troop to nurses and employees at the hospital.

“It was so thoughtful of the Girl Scouts to take the time to send us some encouragement,” NGMC nurse Blakley Gooch said. “Seeing the effort that was put into these cards brightened our day.”