Some Good Things That Happened in Philly This Week in Spite of Coronavirus

For starters: cherry blossoms.


coronavirus crisis good news cherry blossoms

We found some actual coronavirus crisis good news. Left: Screenshot from an adorable ukulele engagement song video. | Right: A woman relaxes in a hammock hanging amid cherry trees in Philadelphia during the coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

There’s been plenty of bad news in Philly (and everywhere) this week, thanks to the coronavirus. So we wanted to look around and see if there were any glimmers of hope. If you see some for yourself or have some good news to share in all of this, shoot us an email.

The Cherry Blossom Trees Have No Idea What the Coronavirus Is

I don’t know if you’ve taken a walk, hike or drive through Fairmount Park and the surrounding area lately. But the cherry blossom trees have bloomed in full force. While most of Philadelphia has stopped in its tracks due to the coronavirus, the cherry blossom trees are like, coronawhaaat?

Just one request: If you decide to head over to the park to take a gander at this beautiful display for yourself, don’t forget to take social distancing very seriously. We don’t want Fairmount Park to suffer the fate of Valley Forge Park.

Nothing Says Hope Like a Ukulele

I have to admit, I’ve never been one to follow Philly Mag’s wedding coverage. I mean, I’m a 45-year-old guy who has been married for close to 20 years. Pretty sure I’m not the target demographic on that one.

But since the arrival of the coronavirus in Philadelphia, I’ve been paying close attention. There are some really beautiful stories out there about how couples are adapting during this crisis. And you’ve just got to love a story about a wedding photographer, his bride-to-be, his daughter, and one very special ukulele engagement song.

Comcast Family Donates Millions to Buy Computers for Philly Students

Many school students in the region are doing distance learning during the coronavirus crisis using computers provided by their schools. Or just, you know, computers they have at home.

But many children in the Philadelphia School District are at an extreme disadvantage. Philly public schools don’t hand out computers. And many households in the district don’t have the same kind of computer access that some other households have.

In an attempt to bridge that gap, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his family just donated $5 million to buy computers for students in the district.

“We’re living in an unprecedented time and COVID-19 is presenting our society with new challenges every day,” said Roberts and his wife in a statement. “When we heard that many Philadelphia students weren’t going to be able to learn from home without laptops, we quickly decided we wanted to help and provide these teachers, parents and students with the technology they need to begin learning online within just a few weeks. In good times or bad, now all of our Philadelphia students will have access to technology to help them succeed.”

Comcast is also offering free Internet to low-income households in light of the coronavirus crisis. For details on that, click here.

This is one of many, many examples of corporate, philanthropic and individual generosity that we’ve heard about this week. Keep them coming.