Buffalo Strong: Connect, Care, Continue
Buffalo Strong, a movement that began just days after the tragic events on February 9, 2021, at the Allina Crossroads Clinic, has continued to bring positivity to the community, with a goal to continue the movement for years to come.
According to Buffalo Strong organizer, Dani Palmer, the formation of Buffalo Strong began on Feb. 9, 2021, shortly after the tragic events at the Allina Crossroads Clinic. Palmer has been living in the Buffalo community since 2013. By using her experience in marketing and development, she began working on creating a website. By Thursday, Feb. 11 the website (https://www.buffalostrong.care) with the new Buffalo Strong logo was launched.
The website has information for mental health resources, faith leaders, news, information, where to donate, and more. In the first two weeks, the Buffalo Strong website had 45,000 unique visitors to the site.
Palmer had previously worked with a group of volunteers during the riots in Minneapolis to offer food and water to residents who could no longer shop at their local stores. This inspired her and the volunteers she had worked with to jump to action and help the Buffalo community.
As the year has progressed, so has Buffalo Strong. The movement eventually became a 501(c)(3), non-profit and shifted its focus towards mental health. It provides education and resources for those who may be struggling or know someone who is struggling with things such as depression and anxiety. “We really want to be a community foundation,” Palmer stated.
Dani shared about working directly with the victims was one of the most rewarding parts of working on Buffalo Strong. “After what they’ve gone through, just them knowing how much the community really rallied behind them and sees them, loves them, and is grateful for them and their courage, that’s a really powering thing,” Palmer shared as she spoke about the past year.
She has worked closely with government officials, such as Mayor Teri Lachermeier, throughout the past year since starting Buffalo Strong. The mayor was one of the first people Palmer reached out to.
Lachermeier officially proclaimed Feb. 9 as Buffalo Strong Day; she shared it felt “Amazing… proclaiming the day was surreal, seeing how far we have come. It brings me full circle.”
Lachermeier shared about her experience the past year as Mayor after the tragic event. “What I experienced is so different from what others experienced,” she said. The mayor focused on trying to stay positive and looking forward. Shortly after the shooting, the annual Kites on Ice festival took place. She continues to remind herself and others “we are going to get through this.”
This year, on Buffalo Strong Day (Feb. 9, 2022) events will be hosted at Buffalo High School. See the ad running in this week’s Journal-Press for more information. All are welcome to attend. The focus of the Buffalo Strong event is to provide information and resources for mental health.
Randy Haskins, a longtime member of the Buffalo community and recently retired President of Old National Bank, was compelled to bring inspirational speaker, Clint Malarkchuk to Buffalo Strong Day. Malarchuk shares his personal journey, dealing with mental health problems, such as depression, PTSD, and how he has dealt with it throughout his life. Haskins has been working on organizing the event since mid-August.
Haskins also worked with Old National Bank on helping Buffalo Strong ensure they were fiscally sound to continue their community work and mental health advocacy. The funds will go towards future Buffalo Strong events that are planned to occur annually.
He shared that he is impressed with the community, stating, “the resilience they are showing, and willingness to help going forward,” and pointed out that there has been an outpouring of people willing to support and help. Haskins believes the Buffalo Strong event and future events will provide better knowledge and awareness when it comes to mental health for anyone who attends.
The future of Buffalo Strong looks bright and will continue to provide support to the community for years to come. “Maybe in a couple of years, people no longer think about the tragedy of what happened, but look at Buffalo Strong Day as a way to really come together as a community and the strength of the people in it,” Dani Palmer stated as she discussed her vision for the future of Buffalo Strong.
After a year of Buffalo Strong, she said she is proud of what has been accomplished and that she has been impressed by the small businesses in the area, city officials, and more who have been so willing to help.
Mayor Lachermeier discussed the importance of the “three C’s” that was perfect at the time of the tragedy, but even more fitting now. The “three C’s” are Connect, Care, and Continue. Lachermeier passionately shared that “no matter what they are going through, if they continue to care and connect with their neighbors and community, they will come out of it.” She has placed importance on continuing the “three C’s” and wanted the community to know that Buffalo will continue to care and connect.
Haskins, Lachermeier, and Palmer are three of the many people who have made Buffalo Strong possible. They each had very positive things to say about one another, and have inspired many to show support for their community.
