We Are Nashville
By Shellie Braeuner - September 29, 2010
Nashville has been ravaged by flood. The rallying cry has been three simple words.
We are Nashville.
Five months after the flood, more than half of the homes affected are filled with families again. Because we are Nashville, we help each other out.
Kingston Springs Elementary School was closed in May after it was flooded with more than six feet of water. After three months of hard work and donations of individuals and companies like Simon and Schuster, the school opened on time, welcoming children with a clean safe building and new books.
We are Nashville.
Lighthouse Christian School saw one of its buildings float down the interstate. Its entire pre-school was flooded to the roofline, destroying the building and contents, including every classroom pet. But despite the loss, the portion of the school that stayed above the flood welcomed refugees from the neighborhood and became a staging point for food, water and consolation.
Last week, I was privileged to volunteer for Hardaway Construction and Extreme Makeover. Authors, teachers, caterers and accountants picked up power tools and replaced the destroyed pre-school with a brand new 6,000 square foot facility in seven days. I can’t wait until the show airs and everyone sees the new es-“state” for the classroom hamsters! Buildings for children need whimsy.
And we are Nashville.
There was still one flood victim that was not accounted for. His body had been missing for five months after being swept into the flooded Harpeth River. Search parties scoured the riverbanks and trees every day for more than a month before need forced them to limit their search to weekends. His mother celebrates her birthday this week, and the only thing she wanted was the knowledge that she could bury her son. Tonight, she got her wish as the last flood victim was found. His remains were pulled from a tree that grew along the Harpeth River. His body is a testament to the violence of the flooding. But his discovery is a testament to the fact that we don’t give up in this town.
Because, we are Nashville.
We are Nashville.
Five months after the flood, more than half of the homes affected are filled with families again. Because we are Nashville, we help each other out.
Kingston Springs Elementary School was closed in May after it was flooded with more than six feet of water. After three months of hard work and donations of individuals and companies like Simon and Schuster, the school opened on time, welcoming children with a clean safe building and new books.
We are Nashville.
Lighthouse Christian School saw one of its buildings float down the interstate. Its entire pre-school was flooded to the roofline, destroying the building and contents, including every classroom pet. But despite the loss, the portion of the school that stayed above the flood welcomed refugees from the neighborhood and became a staging point for food, water and consolation.
Last week, I was privileged to volunteer for Hardaway Construction and Extreme Makeover. Authors, teachers, caterers and accountants picked up power tools and replaced the destroyed pre-school with a brand new 6,000 square foot facility in seven days. I can’t wait until the show airs and everyone sees the new es-“state” for the classroom hamsters! Buildings for children need whimsy.
And we are Nashville.
There was still one flood victim that was not accounted for. His body had been missing for five months after being swept into the flooded Harpeth River. Search parties scoured the riverbanks and trees every day for more than a month before need forced them to limit their search to weekends. His mother celebrates her birthday this week, and the only thing she wanted was the knowledge that she could bury her son. Tonight, she got her wish as the last flood victim was found. His remains were pulled from a tree that grew along the Harpeth River. His body is a testament to the violence of the flooding. But his discovery is a testament to the fact that we don’t give up in this town.
Because, we are Nashville.
