ROGERS, Ark. — A downtown historic community in Rogers didn’t let storm damage and remaining debris get in the way of celebrating the Fourth of July.
“We decided to do the parade,” Nancy Swearingen, a resident of Rogers said. “The parade must go on. It's going to be hot and a lot of our shade is gone.”
Trees that used to canopy a large portion of the Swearingen’s front yard were either stripped of their branches or fallen altogether. Piles of debris still occupy the sidewalks.
Still, that didn’t stop dozens of Rogers’ residents from taking part in a parade and celebration that the Swearingens have been hosting for 38 years. What started out with Swearingen walking her kids down the street on the Fourth over thirty years ago, has turned into an event attended by hundreds every year.
“Seeing them come, visit with each other, and reconnect is what this whole thing is all about to me,” Swearingen said. “It's what our country should be about; finding what we have in common and celebrating that.”
The event started with a parade in the morning and continued with a potluck-style lunch in the afternoon, with residents from houses around the area bringing meals for everyone.
Swearingen added that the already close community became even closer right after the Memorial Day Weekend’s storms tore through their city.
“We were amazed at the community response. People showed up the very next day, crews of folks with chainsaws that we didn't know, who just said, ‘Where do you want us to start?’" said Swearingen. “It was just a phenomenal response by our community.”
And while celebrations continued throughout the afternoon, chances were still available at the event for people to give back to those affected by the storms.
“We asked our friends that came to the parade to bring breakfast items that would help kids that were home,” said Harriet Mack, a resident of Rogers. “We will put that into the pantry, which we hope will be repaired this next week.”
Mack is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Rogers. She said a couple of the Little-Free Pantries that are located in Rogers were damaged by the storms. When repaired, the food collected at the event will fill the pantries.
In addition to donating food, Swearingen said the community is also trying to start a Redbud Tree Revitalization Project. She said because so many trees in the neighborhood had been damaged or destroyed, she’s encouraging residents to plant Redbud trees in their yards.
Another example of how this community is trying to recover from the damage sustained from May’s storms is the 38-year tradition in Rogers that continued to march on after the devastation.
“We are so hopeful and joyful because we know we will survive this,” Mack said. “We won't see our 100-year-old trees again, but we will plant redbuds, and we will plant other trees, and we will make sure that it's still a beautiful historic home.”
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.