Minot Mayor Tom Ross is calling on residents, businesses, schools, churches, and even City Hall to turn their outdoor lighting blue as a visible show of support for the Minot Police Department and first responders.
“The message is simple,” Mayor Ross said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “Even in the darkest parts of the night, I want an officer to turn a corner in a neighborhood and see a light of support. We should do it 365 days a year. For now, I’m asking for blue lights to be displayed through the month of February.”
The initiative draws inspiration from Project Blue Light, a movement started in 1988 by Dolly Craig. Craig wrote a letter to Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) explaining how she displayed blue candles to honor her son-in-law, a Philadelphia police officer killed in the line of duty, and her daughter, who died in a car accident two years later. The project has since grown into a national effort to recognize law enforcement and first responders.
Mayor Ross hopes the community will embrace the tradition as a sign of gratitude and solidarity with those who protect and serve.