 In appreciation and support of the Kentucky National Guard's efforts to help fight against the latest Delta variant surge, Pikeville first responders held a Heroes Day parade in front of Pikeville Medical Center Wednesday morning in support of those troops. Fantastic. I mean, I don't know, you see all those drive by and I don't know how you can't smile when you hear all the sirens, see all the lights, and yeah, I mean, we thank them for what they do, too, because this is their community more than ours. In August, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear deployed the National Guard to assist hospitals in combating the virus. Over a month later, those troops' efforts continued to be felt as COVID-19 cases decline. So we work in transportation, so transporting patients from room to room and level to level. Working the vaccine line, cleaning, diagnostic center, and the main entrance screening patients, screening patients as they come in and the emergency room. Here at Pikeville Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute, we have assembled a comprehensive team of cardiac specialists bringing expertise from all regions of the nation and the world. We have coupled that with cutting edge technology, providing them the best equipment and operating rooms available. The result is comprehensive cardiac care for the people of our region that is second to none. The Heart and Vascular Institute at Pikeville Medical Center. Afterward, Pikeville Medical Center CEO Donovan Blackburn spoke on the Guard's positive impact on the hospital. You know, there's no words to describe really what has happened in this community, and today is just a day of not only celebration, but a show of appreciation, and bringing out all the emergency services. Most people that know me in the market also, I used to be the city manager here, so a lot of the folks that came before us were people that I've worked with in another capacity. So mixing the two today to show our appreciation, and really, you know, this past year we've used the word heroes a lot. We've used them in healthcare, we've used them in our people in our government, people that have really stepped up. And I can think of no better example than today to bring these great men and women out who are soldiers serving the Kentucky National Guard to show them our appreciation because they are true heroes. They came to us at a time of our greatest need. Blackburn adds that COVID-19 cases are continuing to decline and advocates for vaccination. Currently, the National Guard will continue helping the hospital till November 15th. For Mountain Top News, I'm Joel Korjol.