Indiana State Fair Midway
Last Friday, I posted an image of my adopted hometown of Indianapolis in all four seasons.
As I returned home from my Canadian vacation on Sunday, I learned of the tragic Indiana State Fair stage collapse on Saturday night. Five people were killed and dozens injured as the stage came crashing down between the performances of Sara Bareilles and Sugarland. The annual State Fair was closed yesterday for the first time in history.
As the story unfolded through news reports, videos, Facebook and Twitter comments, what became clear was that this is a real community.
I have always said that Indianapolis is a big city with a small town feel. While the city houses over a million people (including the suburbs), it is easy to get anywhere fairly quickly and you almost always run into someone you know.
On Saturday night, everyone in my family knew several people who were at the concert. The people of Indiana love their country music. My daughter, Kelly, would have been there but she now lives in Nashville, Tennessee and attended Sugarland’s concert there a few weeks ago.
As soon as we arrived home, we visited our neighbors who had been at the concert. They were on the track, close to the collapse, and relayed the whole harrowing account. Our neighbor is a doctor and was one of the first responders to help the injured. One of their kids was at the fairgrounds with a friend (not at the concert) and she spent time seeking shelter from the weather in a fair building, not knowing if her family was okay.
The scenes of fans running from the stage as it collapsed and then running back to help the wounded will be forever in my mind. This is what the people of real communities do in their darkest moments – help each other.
Related Links
Video of Indiana State Fair stage collapse
Sara Bareilles responds to tragedy