DALTON, Ga. — Dalton resident Jim Gilmore says he has been keeping an eye on the news about the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the heroic work being done by doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.

“I used to have a restaurant,” he said. “And it occurred to me that every day at lunch these men and women are probably grabbing a hamburger or sandwich for lunch, maybe just going through a drive-thru when they go home. They don’t have time to go out to a restaurant. You can get tired of hamburgers and french fries.”

So Gilmore and some friends and neighbors from the North Oaks community, including Wayne and Mona Russell, Larry and Jane Meeks, and Tom and Carolyn Pappas, decided to spring for pizzas and deliver them to the staff at Hamilton Medical Center. They made the first delivery on Tuesday at 11 a.m., the first of three deliveries they’ll make this week.

“We’ll bring 30 this week and 30 next week,” Gilmore said.

“We just want to do something for the people who work there for all of the things they do for all of us,” he said.

Because the pizzas are delivered on three days during a week, they are sent to different locations within the hospital system, with the goal of feeding as many employees as possible.

“We really appreciate Mr. Gilmore coordinating these food donations,” said Shelia Baker, director of patient experience and organizational development for Hamilton. “This gift and the many others that have come in from so many people and organizations in our community — from personal protective equipment, to meals, to messages of encouragement and art from local children — mean so much to the Hamilton family.”

Gilmore said he hopes to inspire others to also give back to the area’s healthcare workers.