Casper Citizens Gather at Conwell Park to Offer Prayer, Support for Healthcare Workers

A handful of Casper citizens gathered at Conwell Park on Wednesday to offer their prayers and support of healthcare workers during these unceremonious times. It was said to be the idea of Dallas Laird, a prominent attorney in Casper, who believes the power of prayer is just one of the small ways people can offer their support to those working in healthcare. And, he says, there is no better place to pray than Conwell Park, which is directly across the street from Wyoming Medical Center.

"It probably started around 1953," so said Laird. "My grandmother and I lived over on Wilson Street, about a block away, and she would bring me over here [to Conwell park] and throw a blanket down. We'd sit there and she'd be real quiet and I'd say 'What are you doing, grandma?' And she'd say 'Well, there's a lot of people across the street that are sick and hurting, and I'm here to pray for them.'"

Laird said his grandmother brought him to the park numerous times over the years to pray for patients and healthcare workers alike and, because of that, he started viewing Conwell Park as "the prayer park."

Years later, Conwell Park would once again be turned into "the prayer park," as various members of the community came together in prayer and solidarity, offering kind words and thoughts to both patients and workers.

Fred Bruner is a pastor in Casper and he was happy to lead the group in prayer, which he hopes will encourage everybody within the walls of Wyoming Medical Center.

"I think it means a lot just to know that someone notices you, that someone cares," Bruner stated. "Sometimes what happens is that people feel invisible and that no one knows or cares what they're going through. But even though we can't go in [to Wyoming Medical Center], we see them, we care about them, we love them...we're with you and you're not there by yourself."