As part of the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s activities, churches were asked to ring their bells on January 19, 2021, at 5:30 p.m., in honor of the 400,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in the last year. Valiant volunteers Jim Harper and Gabe Hong bravely climbed several flights of steps and two tall and slightly treacherous ladders to ring the NHCC bells.
Jim recounted, “Gabe was right on time at 5:20 p.m. We went up to the bell room (one flight above the clock room) and briefly observed the mechanism (it’s like a big cuckoo clock). Gabe found a name on the bell, which I believe is the name of the foundry. We looked for, but didn’t find a date on the bell. My impression is that it’s from the prior building that was replaced by the current structure in 1905. Gabe then rang the bell five times. Mission accomplished!”
Thank you to Jim and Gabe for helping NHCC mark this solemn occasion.