TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, Ohio — Northeast Ohio has pulled together in the wake of Tuesday’s bus crash. Businesses have started taking up collections, churches have opened their doors for people to grieve and ordinary people have stepped in to offer a shoulder to lean on.
On the way through Bolivar and Zoar Wednesday, a few signs reading “TV Strong” are starting to pop up. A table was set up outside the Tuscarawas Valley High School entrance that has the six photographs of the victims in Tuesday’s crash surrounded with candles and flowers.
Dave Graham, who goes by Cowboy Dave, is from Newark in Licking County. He travels the country offering support in the wake of tragedies. Recently he was in Maine following the Lewiston shooting. He said he had just returned from Maine and hadn’t unloaded the truck when the crash happened just a few miles from his home. He said he hopped on the road Tuesday afternoon to be there for the Tusky Valley family.
“It's been so sad, so heartbreaking, but so... good to be a part of watching such a strong community coming together,” Graham said.
He said so many families are trying to process what happened Tuesday that he’s just there to be someone to lean on with an open ear.
“A young man pulled in last night, about 5:30 p.m. I could tell he was awfully young. He zipped in and slid right next to me, nobody was in this whole parking lot. He said ‘I’ve been out deer hunting all day. Haven't been able to reach my folks, my sister is in the band,'" Graham said.
Graham would learn that the boy’s sister was on the bus.
He sits in the parking lot across from the school with a wood fire burning in the evening for anyone to join him and just get out what is on their minds.
Churches in the area also opened their doors Wednesday night. Pastor Floyd Stanfill opened Faith Baptist Church to teens in the community and anyone else who needed a quiet place to grieve.
“Tragedy makes us all take a step back and think about life, God, and eternity. We're busy about our daily lives and you don’t think about it that much, but when something like this happens, you start thinking about it seriously,” said Stanfill. “For adults, we’ve lost people before and know how to deal with that. For our younger folks, this might be the first time they’ve lost someone and they need help.”
Church of the Holy Trinity in Zoar held a prayer mass for the victims as well on Wednesday night.