Supermarket chain Wegmans announced on Thursday that it will be shutting 48 of its stores located in the path of the total solar eclipse expected on April 8 so as to allow its staff members to witness the spectacular event.
“The opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse comes once in a lifetime, and we don’t want our employees to miss out,” read a statement from Patrick Bourcy, Wegmans regional manager. “We appreciate all that our employees do to help our customers prepare for and enjoy events like this, and in return, we welcome the opportunity to make this a celebratory and memorable occasion for them.”
In total, the supermarket chain will close 48 stores throughout upstate New York for 30 minutes on the day of the eclipse, with no service between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET. During that time, all services offered by the company, including grocery and pharmacy, won’t be available.
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The total solar eclipse of April 8 will be the second such event to be visible from the U.S. in seven years, but it will only be admired by those who live in the path of totality—the 115-mile wide track falling under the moon’s central shadow. That’s about 42 million people. The path of totality will extend from Texas to Maine.
The rest of the country will be able to see only partial phases of the total solar eclipse. Miami, for example, will only see a partial eclipse in which 46 percent of the sun will be covered, at most, according to Vahe Peroomian, professor of physics and astronomy at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
The Wegmans branches that will shut their doors on the day include several in Rochester (Brockport, Calkins Road, Chili-Paul, East Avenue, Eastway, Fairport, Holt Road, Irondequoit, Latta Road, Lyell Avenue, Marketplace, Mt. Read, Penfield, Perinton, Pittsford, Ridge-Culver, Ridgemont); in Buffalo (Alberta Drive, Amherst St, Dick Road, Jamestown, Losson Road, McKinley, Military Road, Niagara Falls Blvd., Sheridan Drive, Transit Rd., West Seneca); in Finger Lakes (Auburn, Canandaigua, Geneseo, Geneva, Ithaca, Newark); in Southern Tier (Corning, Elmira, Hornell, Johnson City); in Syracuse (Cicero, Dewitt, Fairmount, Great Northern, James Street, John Glenn, Onondaga, Taft Road); and in Erie (Erie Peach Street, Erie West).
Wegmans employees have reportedly shown to appreciate the gesture from the company, saying it’s proof that it cares for its staff members. Interviewed by NBC Montana, employee Lyn Kemp said the decision “just shows why they are the way they are, you know that they do care.”
If you’re planning on being among the likely millions of Americans readying themselves for the once-in-a-lifetime event, do so safely through solar viewing glasses or a handheld solar viewer and brace yourself for what officials expect to be a surge in the number of drivers on the road.
A spokesperson for the American Automobile Association (AAA) told USA Today that those chasing the eclipse on April 8 should “pack your patience, whether traveling a great distance or locally, people will be out and about to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.”
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