Vegas Stronger, Forever

10/1/2017

1 October

October 1st

However you choose to put it, the date has a strong meaning for every Vegas resident. Not any time soon will anybody in our city forget about the act of violence that took place on that day. However, four years later, we also do not forget the incredible acts of bravery and community that were witnessed throughout the entire city in the weeks and months after. The lines of people who waited for hours, just to have the opportunity to donate blood.

At this point, we all know of the impact that the Vegas Golden Knights had on our city in a time when we needed a distraction most of all. They offered a grieving city something to rally around, something to get excited about, and something to focus on, even if just for a few hours at a time.

58 lives were lost on that day. Hundreds more injured. An entire city thrown into mourning.

When someone tells you that the Knights were a huge part of the healing process for the city of Las Vegas, believe them. They aren’t saying it because it’s the easy thing. It’s because the team gave this city something positive to stand behind. Every game. Every practice. It was the most welcome distraction ever.

The players were out in the community. They were meeting with survivors and the first responders. They were part of the entire thing. They poured their hearts into the city, and the city poured their hearts back into the team. It’s difficult to explain without just sounding cheesy, but hockey brought the city back to life after October 1, 2017. They didn’t show up for a publicity stunt. This was their home. Their city. Their families.

It has been four years since that night and this city is still healing, but even so, it is stronger than it has ever been. Anybody who comes to visit can feel it. Through one of the saddest days in modern history and a pandemic, the City of Las Vegas is thriving and everybody knows it.

With one of the most prolific sports scenes in the country to match the busy nightlife that has historically been synonymous with Vegas, this city has shown just how resilient it is.

We were Vegas Strong then.

We are Vegas Stronger now.