DENVER — We get it: there's little good to be found in the news about the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado. These are times that take a toll on your mental health, but as Mr. Rogers famously said: "look for the helpers" during tragedy.
The good news in all of this? There are plenty of them in Colorado. From birthday parades to coronavirus snowmen you can use to blow off some steam, Coloradans are helping each other and finding light in the darkness.
Here are some of those stories.
One giant heart
Thanks to pink windows on the Optiv building, the downtown Denver skyline now has more heart than ever before.
The parades ... all of the parades
No one wants to be alone on their birthday. And Colorado's community has done its part to make sure that people don't have to.
Take the Pueblo Police Department, for instance. Officers took the time to drive by and make sure a World War II veteran knows he is loved and appreciated.
People in Broomfield held a drive-by parade for Carter Egerter, who is 8 years old and beat leukemia.
Colorado needs blood, and Coloradans delivered
Blood banks throughout the state have asked for Coloradans to donate blood during the pandemic. And anyone who's tried to make an appointment knows that the state has come out in droves! To schedule your own appointment, click here.
And even people who have gone through the worst of times are doing their part. This is Lin Szydlo. She recovered from COVID-19, and she donated her plasma to make sure that it can be used to help others in their battles against the virus.
Making sure the heroes don't go unnoticed
Every night at 8 p.m., Coloradans have gone outside and howled to show our appreciation to healthcare workers. Is it an opera like the Italians were doing? Absolutely not, but you've got to admit it's more us!
Of course, there's also been actual applause for doctors and nurses, because they truly deserve it.
One building in Denver's Cap Hill neighborhood even has a mural of a nurse with boxing gloves and angel wings ... as fitting of a tribute as any.
Making sure we help the helpers
Colorado's hospitals say they have a shortage of personal protective equipment. So, people in our state have been coming out in droves to sew face masks.
Or, in the case of one local teacher, 3D print face shields to help our healthcare workers!
Even nurses jumped in to help one another.
Giving communities what they need
Tens of thousands of Coloradans have lost their jobs during the pandemic. People in Colorado have been quick to donate their food and time to make sure they have the essentials.
The Auraria campus had a drive-through food drive.
A guy in Englewood, meanwhile, ran an ultramarathon around his neighborhood to help people pay their rent.
And finally, the helpers worked to make people smile
One family is Sedalia is spending their time in quarantine taking epic photos of their hedgehog Steve.
Fort Collins Police Services uses a Zoom call to share some dad jokes.
A family in Lone Tree made a stay-at-home music video.
And finally, a group of neighbors made a coronavirus snowman and encouraged people to throw their snowballs at it because hey: sometimes you just have to get the aggression out.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS