One-and-a-half miles south of the state Capitol on Monday, history repeated itself as dozens of cars drove around the block bordered by 1st and 2nd avenues and North Washington and Emerson streets.

It was a curious sight, considering that Sunday’s “Re-Open Colorado” protest drew hundreds of people to the state Capitol grounds railing against the stay-at-home coronavirus order, where some waved “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and called for the firing of Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Not to mention, the residential Speer neighborhood was an odd choice for a second rally advocating for people to return to work.

But as it turns out: it wasn’t. It was a parade.

“My sales team arranged it,” said Brianna Westlake, the executive director of the Brookdale Parkplace highrise. Westlake stood on the corner of 2nd and Washington, blowing a whistle and waving to the approximately 40 cars circling the building.

“Our building is under quarantine because we are a senior living community,” she said. “They can’t come out of their apartments. Their families can’t come in to see them. The risk of transmission is so high for COVID.”

The 216 residents, some of whom were standing on their balconies waving, were all missing their families, Westlake said. “So we arranged this parade for them to come and be able to see their family members and send notes of support and be supportive to the staff who are here working 24/7 to keep everyone healthy.”

Data from the state show that 49% of COVID-19 related deaths have occurred at more than 100 non-hospital care facilities during the pandemic. The Colorado National Guard and the Colorado State Patrol have started helping test at select facilities, with the goal of limiting spread to the population most at risk of contracting the disease.

In contrast with the “Re-Open” protest, where two healthcare workers were harassed verbally as they silently stood in a crosswalk and blocked protesters to draw attention to the need to continue social distancing policies, motorists waved teddy bears out of the windows. They held up signs that read “We Love You.”

“Thank you for working so hard,” one woman yelled to Westlake from inside a MINI Cooper. “Stay safe! Be well!”

Westlake made it clear that the parade had no relationship to the “Re-Open” movement. “This is purely just to support our residents who are at risk of being isolated,” she said. “No protest at all. It’s just to be supportive of them.”