Steve Brosnihan knows better than anyone how one small act of kindness can bloom into a widespread movement of humanitarian joy.

Brosnihan, an East Providence native, is the creator and original spark that ignited the ‘Good Night Lights’ movement nine years ago, where people of all ages (often joined by public safety officials) gather along the East Providence waterfront to shine flashlights and emergency beacons across the river towards Hasbro Children’s Hospital, in the hopes that a child going through cancer treatment will gain strength from the showing of solidarity and support.

But just to make sure he was fully aware of his impact on the local community and beyond, the East Providence City Council and various city officials made sure he was given a sufficient amount of praise for his role in turning the Good Night Lights program into something that started small, and has now been emulated across the nation in nearly a decade since.

“What you have created is an incredible act of perseverance towards these children and their families as they go through the fights of their lives. It’s almost difficult to put into words,” said East Providence Police Chief Christopher Francesconi. “What it means to those children and families is just immeasurable…It’s been a highlight of my career to be involved in this. It really has. It’s something I will always remember.”

While it was prior police chief, Chris Parella, who was in charge at the time Brosnihan originally approached the department to ask if they could help by gathering some police vehicles, Francesconi said that the department has been involved ever since.

“Wednesday nights, 8:30, we’re there,” he said. “And if we’re not, or we’re busy, Steve is sure to reach out and make sure we’re there because we don’t want to let those kids down.”

Brosnihan was given proclamations from the East Providence City Council, Mayor Bob DaSilva, and received comments of praise from many more, including fire chief Michael Carey, who also often lends fire apparatus to support the light displays.

It can get even bigger
Brosnihan eventually made his way up to the podium, giving a brief history on the program, which started from one small act he did while working as the resident cartoonist for Hasbro.

“The story of Good Night Lights goes back to a simple exchange I had with one patient one night and the premise for my action was to let this kid know that there would be support and a connection between me and him as time went forward even as I left the building. And the point was the support outside this building can come back to you,” he said. “The kid was brilliant. When I shined my bike light at him, he blinked his room lights to complete a connection, and that’s what really inspired this. I thought, my God, if I can connect with a kid from a quarter mile away, more people could do this and it could become something.”

And become something, it has. Brosnihan said that as many as 50 buildings in the East Providence and Providence area are now participating in some way — from automated lights that go on with timers each night, to reflective tape that has been affixed to structures that send out encouraging messages like “You are loved” and “You are not alone”, which can be seen when hit with a light source.

“Good Night Lights is an every night situation, and I’m particularly proud of that,” he said. “Every night, kids at Hasbro have something to see. And that’s for nine years since Good Night Lights started.”

The participation of public safety departments from the beginning, Brosnihan said, has caused the movement to spread across the country.

“The actions of the East Providence Police Department, and this is absolute fact, has inspired police departments across this country to take on similar roles in their communities to support kids in the hospital,” he said. “And fire departments, by the way.”

Brosnihan said that he was in conversations with people from Kettle Point Orthopedics to become a bigger part of the program “soon”, and had hopeful plans to incorporate some kind of light feature onto the East Providence water tower. He asked for help from the council to work with other businesses along the waterfront that could potentially join in, to which multiple members happily agreed to do.

Brosnihan ended the presentation by thanking everyone for their kind words and support regarding Good Night Lights, and explaining why it has meant so much to him over the years.

“The signals that are sent, whether they’re acknowledged or not, they mean something to people. Even just the knowledge of knowing that these happen,” he said. “It’s an act of faith, and I love that about this project. It’s all about having the faith that your signal is being received and being acknowledged as a piece of support in the life of a child or a family.”