Elgin health care workers receive heartfelt surprise

Health care workers starting their day before sunrise Monday at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin were greeted with an early Valentine's Day surprise.

For the second year in a row, state Reps. Anna Moeller and Suzanne Ness delivered fresh flowers and more than 550 handmade valentines, along with notes of gratitude from local students and community members.

“The last couple years have been incredibly challenging, especially for those who work so hard to protect us and keep us healthy,” Moeller said in a news release. “An event like this allows the community to show their profound appreciation and recognizes the hardworking health care workers who serve us. We're happy to show some love and leave a positive impact on Valentine's Day.”

Moeller, a Democrat from Elgin, and Ness, a Democrat from Crystal Lake, organized the valentine collection at their district offices, the Taylor Family Branch YMCA, the Gail Borden, Algonquin Area and Fox River Valley public libraries, the Boys & Girls Club of Dundee Township and local schools.

“Valentine's cards from local kids are a wonderful surprise for the men and women who have given so much to our community,” Ness said in the release. “Parents are, I am sure, acutely aware of the extensive contributions health care workers made to our communities during the recent pandemic. Simple, but touching gestures like a Valentine card can go a long way toward showing our appreciation.”