Fewer than six weeks after an EF-1 tornado struck downtown Athens, The Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce hosted a sold-out #AthensStrong Community Support Breakfast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, honoring the individuals who helped cleanup and rebuild the city after the storm.

“As a community, we are one,” Pammie Jimmar, president of the Chamber, told The News Courier. “After the tornado, everyone came together to get the job done — with no instructions needed. That’s what I believe #AthensStrong is all about, because when one of us gets knocked down we all come together to help them get back up. That’s why we wanted to celebrate these amazing workers and thank them for all the great work they did to get our community back up on our feet.”

According to Jimmar, the event would not have been possible without presenting sponsor Zach Conlon Insurance, as well as the numerous other sponsors who helped fund the breakfast.

Droves of community members filed into Carter Gymnasium at Athens State University in the early morning hours to show their support and gratitude to the selfless first responders, volunteers, as well as city and county workers whose tireless efforts helped the city recover from the storm that ravaged the historic downtown district.

“Once I found out that no one was hurt I had no real worries. … I knew that our citizens would show up to help out,” Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin said. “That’s just who they are. We are a town that loves each other and loves our community. It doesn’t matter what part of town you are from, we all worked together to make sure our town was taken care of.”

Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell, who also attended the event with several of his officers who made rounds across the city after the storm hit, echoed the sentiments of McLaughlin.

“Our guys did a great job to make sure that everyone was safe,” Pressnell said. “The city and county crews that came out, and really everyone came out to help, did a fantastic job. That’s just how this town works, if you need something there’s always going to be someone out there willing to help you.

The special event not only filled the stomachs of those noble workers before their work day started, but it also served as a crucial fundraiser – with proceeds from the event going directly towards assisting those individuals and businesses still reeling from the disaster.

“We take so much pride in our community because of things like this,” Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly said. “Being out there that night we knew that we would come back stronger. I was amazed at the sheer amount of workers who volunteered to help, we actually had to start turning people away for their own safety. The sheer resilience of our people is what makes our community strong, they are what makes our community special.”

The breakfast and the program spoke volumes to the solidarity of the Athens and Limestone County community. City sanitation workers sat shoulder to shoulder with county utility workers and several local elected officials — all of whom joined together for a brief meal that will leave a lasting mark on what it means to be #AthensStrong.

“This was a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation to those people who worked their rear ends off to get us to where we are at now,” Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said. “I am just so proud of this place and the people in it. I’ve said it before, but I really do mean it when I say that this is the best city in Alabama. I can’t imagine ever being anywhere else and that’s a testament to the amazing people we have here.”