Cedar Rapids: A Resilient City

Upon arriving in Cedar Rapids in April 2010, I could not believe all the stories, pictures, exhibits and media coverage I saw and read of the Floods of 2008. As a former Iowan, I had followed the national media coverage in 2008 very closely. What a difference to arrive and hear the stories first hand from the people that lived it, including the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau staff.

The feature of Iowans that I have always loved and admired is the strength of character to pick ourselves up and start over. Cedar Rapidians are prime examples of this remarkable character.

On Saturday, January 22, I attended the “Signs of Progress” community event honoring many of the men and women that came together to aid their families, friends and strangers during and after this terrible disaster. It was a wonderful event to recognize some of the many community heroes and to pat ourselves on our backs for the accomplishments that have been made in the last two and a half years.

Cedar Rapids is a vibrant and resilient community. The work has just begun to rebuild and the opportunities are limitless. It is not too late to be a part of making our hometown the best place to live in the State of Iowa and the United States of America.

To learn more about the “Signs of Progress,” please visit http://www.signsofprogresscr.com/ or pick up a Signs of Progress brochure and map at the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 119 1st Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.

Marilee Fowler, President, Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau