(The following is a commentary)
April 29 started out like any other day. A typical Monday. Then the news came.
There was a large police and fire response at an address in Chatham. The location was an after-school camp known as YNOT – which stands for Youth Needing Other Things.
I was familiar with it. My son attended the camp when it first opened at that spot. It always seemed like a fun place. Those who were bused there from their schools had been in class all day. This was a time to play, talk with friends and be kids.
This day was different. Not long after the children arrived, around 3:20 p.m., a vehicle drove through the building. Four young people, between the ages of 7 and 18, died at the scene. Their bright futures gone. So unfair.
A half dozen others were injured. All were affected and will be forever.
But this is about what happened after.
First responders flooded the scene to do their jobs despite the trauma they witnessed.
“I went home, and I hugged my wife and my children, and I just bawled. I cried my eyes out,” said Chatham Police Officer David Leach, who was there. “The tears have continued to come in waves for me every day since and come without warning.”
Leach and others helped.
As did staff at the Chatham Baptist Church only a block away. They opened the church doors so it could become a reunification center for parents picking up their children.
While grieving with the victims’ families, moments like these make people realize what is most important. I spoke with parents who said they hugged their children a little tighter that night.
But while the shock of what happened was still fresh, so many residents sprang into action.
Within hours after the crash, fundraisers began appearing online. Monetary donations poured in from within the community and outside of it. Some gave blood. Others contributed items that were requested, from coloring books to food and water. A Facebook page listed numerous businesses giving back.
Signs were posted that read “Chatham Strong” and red ribbons were displayed around the community.
School was placed on e-learning for a few days. Counseling was offered. Therapy dogs were available.
Candlelight vigils were held. The Glenwood High School Student Council organized one at the high school as they mourned the loss of a classmate. Hundreds turned out.
All helped.
As a reporter who has covered his share of tragedies through the decades, I realize it comes with the job. But it’s never easy. It’s especially tough when there are young victims. The pain affects everyone you meet. No one knows what to say. No one can make sense of it.
Officer Leach, when he addressed the crowd at the high school vigil, quoted the late children’s TV host Fred Rogers.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping,” Rogers said.
There were plenty in Chatham.
In a time when the country seems so divided, when friends and families are split over politics, some things can still pull us together. The worst often brings out the best.
