We thought things couldn’t get worse than 2019.
Those whose hearts were filled with hate wanted to bring that hate to Dayton.
But we were #DaytonStrong.
We fought against that hatred. We protested and made our voices heard – louder in fact than those who came to our city. We were Dayton United, and there was no room for hate in our city.
Then a couple days later, tornadoes ravaged multiple towns, leaving many with irreversible damage to their homes. Debris was everywhere, businesses were forced to close because buildings were damaged, and hope was lost for many.
But we were #DaytonStrong.
We came together with our chainsaws and our tree trimmers. We activated mobile pantries to make sure people had food to eat. We opened our doors so people had a place to sleep. We made sure our neighbors and friends were safe and helped them in their time of need.
Then tragedy struck again. On Aug. 4, we woke up to the shocking news of a mass shooting in downtown Dayton. We couldn’t believe that a tragedy like this had taken place in our city.
But we were #DaytonStrong.
We cried together, we held each other a little tighter. We praised heroes who took down the gunman and those who protected innocent bystanders. We called for legislators to take action on gun control. We made memorials, we made our voices heard. Enough was enough. We were not going to accept the actions of one person to define our city.
And now in 2020, a year with a global pandemic impacting each and every one of us, and with efforts to bring equality and justice to all, we once again are proving to be #DaytonStrong.
We are not letting the virus get between us and our children. We are each making choices on how to protect our family and stay safe. We are #DaytonStrong.
We are not standing by idly. We are making it known what we won’t stand for when it comes to injustices against others. We are #DaytonStrong.
We will continue to be #DaytonStrong.
Today and each day forward. Because for as much as we’ve already been through, we know there may be struggles ahead. And through it all, we will continue to be #DaytonStrong.
