‘We can get through this.’ 5 good things happening in Middle Georgia amid coronavirus outbreak

A Macon neighborhood has joined together to support a local restaurant during the new coronavirus pandemic.

Lynn Dunn, president of the Oakview Homeowners Association, said she heard that Fatty’s Pizza was struggling with having to close their restaurant and only offer delivery services; the owner of the restaurant, Chrissy Lee, lives in Oakview.

“So I thought, ‘Let’s help one of our own,’” Dunn said. “The small businesses work so hard. It’s hard to even start your own business let alone keep it open and have employees.”

The neighborhood ordered 56 pizzas, more than 150 wings and several other items for 34 families to be delivered to their homes Friday at 5:30 p.m.

“It’s really hard because the big guys have a lot of money where they can get a lot of government help after all of this,” Dunn said. “Small businesses, we don’t have that. We’re self-made.”

Dunn, a business owner herself, is proud of Lee and wants to help her and her employees as long as she can, she said.

“By working together, we can get through this,” Dunn said. “It’s up to us to keep our city going. It really is, and we can do it because we’re a strong community.”

Through this pandemic, Middle Georgia residents have done many things to support each other while social distancing. Here are a few more examples.

Macon-Bibb County Recreation Department

Although the recreation centers in Macon-Bibb County are closed due to the pandemic, the centers are still serving the community virtually.

Each center will release online health and wellness classes every week via Facebook. A live broadcast will be published each day at 11 a.m. on one of the recreation centers’ Facebook pages, and a pre-recorded video will be posted at 3 p.m. each day, according to a news release. A schedule of the classes will be released each week.

“Our motto is ‘Building healthy communities through people, parks, and programs,’ and our community can benefit from our programs now more than ever,” said Recreation Department Director Robert Walker in the release. “Our children are at home, parents are trying to work while teaching them, people are worried about and stressed over what the future holds… and we believe we can help alleviate the stress by providing these health and wellness classes.”

Here are the recreation centers and their Facebook pages.

• Bloomfield-Gilead Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/BloomfieldGileadRecCenter

• Delores A. Brooks Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/DeloresABrooksRecreationCenter

• Frank Johnson Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/FrankJohnsonRecreationCenter

• L.H. Williams Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/LHWilliamsRecreationCenter

• Memorial Park Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/LHWilliamsRecreationCenter

• Elaine H. Lucas Senior Center - www.facebook.com/maconbibbseniorcenter

• South Bibb Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/SouthBibbRec

• Theron Ussery Park Community Center - www.facebook.com/TheronUsseryPark/

• Macon Bibb United Boxing Club At Freedom Park - www.facebook.com/MaconBibbUnitedBoxingClubAtFreedomPark

• Rosa Jackson Recreation Center - www.facebook.com/RosaJacksonRecCenter

Virtual Cherry Blossom Festival

The Cherry Blossom Festival will be held virtually through April 5. The festival will have a virtual concert series with a new artist each night through April 5, according to the Facebook event.

Organizers have a list of different retailers and restaurants that are featuring Cherry Blossom-themed items available for curbside pickup and delivery.

People can view the full list of activities the Cherry Blossom Festival has to offer at maconga.org and watch an EarthCam of a cherry blossom tree blooming.

Bibb County Schools

Bibb County Schools have created unique ways to get in touch with their students, from teachers driving by their students’ houses to give them a wave to videos on Facebook and Twitter of principals and teachers reading books and making announcements.

“Our schools and teachers are being very creative in ensuring they continue to reach out to students and staff, and that their sense of school community is still in place – even if students and staff can’t be together in the building,” said school spokeswoman Stephanie Hartley, in an email.

Here are a few examples.

Warner Robins High School principal

Warner Robins High School’s principal has been staying in touch with his students virtually.

Chris McCook, the high school’s principal, started off this week by doing the high school’s traditional morning announcements on Facebook Live, including playing the national anthem and singing the school’s alma mater.

“We do hope that you’re doing well. We miss you. We look forward to seeing you in the halls again soon,” he said in the video.

He also announced a virtual spirit week for students to participate in that included a “get connected” day, a school pride day and a “give thanks” day.

“My coworkers and I have been participating in this virtual spirit week, and I believe it is helping ease some of the tension that many of our students are feeling right now,” said Kristin Hanlin, a teacher at the school, in an email to The Telegraph.

Do you have a positive story you want to share with us? Send it to jeason@macon.com.

This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 11:17 AM.