FAIRMONT — It may not have been as flashy as a flyover by the famed Blue Angels aerobatic team, but health care workers in Fairmont recently were acknowledged when four local businesses banded together to provide a week’s worth of meals for the medical employees.

The project stemmed from a conversation at Sweet Financial Services when some team members there saw a photo of a Chicago nurse in protective gear, wearing the same mask she had worn all day. The nurse was the niece of neighboring businessman John Anthony of Peterson-Anthony Insurance.

Both the local businesses have a strong tradition of giving back to the community so it wasn’t long before Brittany Anderson, director of operations at Sweet Financial, had developed a plan. Graffiti Corner and Culligan of Fairmont quickly joined the group.

The businesses provided meals and beverages for 60 employees at Mayo Clinic Health Care System of Fairmont and 20 employees at Dulcimer Clinic of Fairmont every day last week.

“We thought we’d give them a little something as a thank you for all that they’re doing and all that they’re facing,” Anderson said.

She recently went through testing for the coronavirus went she contracted a respiratory infection and saw first-hand what local health care workers were experiencing on a regular basis.

“Even though they don’t have a (coronavirus) care unit here, they’re still being exposed to things that rattle the nerves,” she said. “There’s a ton of stressors, and they are still subject to encounters and treating people.”

The Anthony family has health care workers and providers across the country , and family members of Peterson-Anthony employees working locally in health care.

“We just felt that this was a great way to give back, to help support them because they are our heroes,” said Connie Anthony. “It’s a small thing that we can do to show that we so appreciate everything that they do and their willingness to put themselves out there at great risk.”

The videos and stories on the news and social media display the mental, emotional and physical trauma that medical professionals face on all levels every day, she said.

“They’re going to need a lot of ongoing support because of what they’re experiencing,” Anthony said. “We have to let them know we care, that we love and appreciate them so much. This isn’t going away any time soon. We have to pull together as a community to support each other through this.”

When Rich Johnson of Culligan of Fairmont was approached about the meals project, he jumped at the chance to help out.

“I didn’t hesitate a second. We were in,” he said. “You get the meals. We’ve got the water.”

Johnson relished the idea of joining forces with other local businesses to support health care workers who are experiencing challenging work situations.

“We are just glad to help out. We like to give back to the community in any way we can,” he said.

John Kasper of Graffiti Corner echoed that sentiment.

“Our intent is to do whatever we can to help out,” he said.

That can be problematic for small businesses hit hard with governmental orders that don’t allow customers to come in.

“But we’re adapting and doing what we can during this time,” Kasper said. “If we can help others, in all this craziness, it’s the least we can do. You can’t forget about being human and helping people.”

He hopes the meals brighten the health care workers’ day and let them think “about life as normal when they tackle things that aren’t normal.”

“I’d encourage any business to do whatever they can, big or small,” Kasper said. “It doesn’t have to be a huge effort, just a little recognition or nod to everything that people are doing.”