VIRGINIA BEACH
“Virginia Beach Strong.” The words offer a communal sense of fortitude in a time of great sorrow.
The rallying cry has popped up on signs across the region.
It began appearing last weekend, after the city was shaken to its core by the mass murder of 12 people at the municipal center Friday.
“It’s important that everybody comes together,” said Bo Midgett, owner of Bobo’s Fine Chicken Restaurant on Shore Drive near the Lesner Bridge, one of many businesses spreading the message.
A few days ago, Midgett decided to display “We are VB Strong,” on both sides of his green, 1959 Ford truck that’s parked in front of the restaurant. He usually advertises daily specials there and it’s hard to miss driving by.
Some of his customers work in the city’s operations building where the shootings happened.
“We’re part of the community, too,” Midgett said.
The “Strong” slogan may have its origins in the LiveStrong cancer support bracelets of the early 2000s. Boston Strong became popular after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
Now, Virginia Beach Strong is showing up in a number of forms. Sometimes, there’s a hashtag in front of it, where when shared on social media it adds to an endless stream of unified determination to raise each other up.
On Interstate 464 in Chesapeake, at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and on Military Highway, billboards feature King Neptune and the words: “Virginia Beach Strong.” Adams Outdoor Advertising designers came to work the Saturday after the shooting to create them quickly.
On I-264, the Virginia Department of Transportation ran the message throughout last weekend on about 20 electronic message boards. Elizabeth River Crossings had three signs displaying “#LOVEFORVB” earlier this week at the approaches of the Downtown and Midtown tunnels in Portsmouth.
In Virginia Beach on Wednesday, workers painted a black ribbon with “#VB Strong” under the city seal on Mount Trashmore.
From the Oceanfront to Town Center, the message has a hold on restaurant marquees and public school signs.
It has also made its way onto T-shirts, including a new design from Wave Riding Vehicles, with proceeds from sales supporting the victims’ families.
Cities across the water have found ways to signal unity and support from afar. Blue lights — the color associated with first responders — illuminated several landmarks in the region, including the Hampton Coliseum.
The gesture was accompanied with a tweet from that city: “We’ve gone blue to send love and light to Virginia Beach. We’re here for you in Hampton.”
Staff writer Cindy Clayton contributed to this report.
?Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com