On the news, Brandeis Coshow had seen Italians singing in the streets and Chicagoans flashing their apartment lights to bring cheer during coronavirus isolation. When she heard Mill Valley, Calif. was gathering for nightly "howls" to bring the community together, she thought it was something that could work in Blaine County, where she lives.
The point, Coshow said, is to give thanks to the frontline workers of the coronavirus, including nurses and doctors, grocery store cashiers and mail carriers.
"We just want to let them know that we’re proud of them and we support them with this really small gesture of howling at 8 p.m."
Coshow made an event on Facebook for the first howl on Saturday night. She didn't know how many people would join in.
The Wood River Valley began nightly howls this weekend to show support for frontline workers.
— Rachel Cohen (@racheld_cohen) March 30, 2020
Here's Sunday night's howl from Carbonate Mountain overlooking Hailey. Video by Haylee Lete. #IdahoCovid19 pic.twitter.com/egWTP60ODe
*The above video was filmed by Haylee Stocking, not Haylee Lete.*
"We went to our driveway at about 7:58. My kids were very excited, and it was complete silence. There was no movement on the street," Coshow said.
Then, at exactly 8 p.m., the howls began, echoing through the valley from Bellevue to Ketchum.
"It was just remarkable. And even though it felt a little silly at first, it just encouraged you to want to just howl even harder, and just know that, 'Hey, we hear you, too!'”
Coshow said she plans on howling every night while Blaine County continues to respond to the coronavirus.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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