By Connie Carmany
“Once in a lifetime . . .” That’s what the coronavirus COVID-19 is supposed to be. It seems as if our whole world has changed overnight. Nothing stays the same. Everything is in a whirlwind. Leaders worldwide seem to agree that we are in a state of crisis. But what does that mean? According to the online Etymology Dictionary, the word “crisis” comes from the Latinized for of the Greek krisis which referred to the “point [in a disease] at which change must come, for better or for worse . . . recovery or death.” To be sure, crises bring danger, but they also bring opportunity. And crises have a way of revealing a person’s or a community’s character.
Fred Rogers (everyone’s childhood hero) shared an insight from his childhood: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ ” We will see who the helpers are– who reaches out to help their neighbors, the elderly, the children, the small businesses that will need help to get through this time.
We think that Canton (and Stark County) is the kind of place where people do and will reach out to help one another more than the average and will come together to get through this as a community. Canton has a strong and long history of coming together in times of crises and we will do it again.
For example, during the Great Depression, Canton businessman Sam Stone anonymously gave 150 families $5 at Christmastime one year (which, I am told, would be like giving them $100 today). Their stories are told in the book his grandson, Ted Gup, wrote called The Secret Gift. The Boston Globe reported that the book is “a wonderful reminder that economic hardship can bring suffering but also foster compassion and community.”
He wasn’t the only generous one during the Depression. Several Canton businesses and individuals showed kindness to others, from local grocers who let people run up credit tabs, not knowing when they would ever be paid, to companies like the Timken Company forgiving rent owed them from employees for housing, and countless other examples. During WWI, Cantonians were asked to raise money by buying a certain quota of war bonds. Many people said it couldn’t be done. But Cantonians came together and exceeded the quota. It was such a tremendous achievement that they had a ceremony to bury the saying, “It can’t be done”! You can still see the grave marker outside the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.
Fast forward to today. Canton is still a “can do” kind of place. Already, we are seeing people rise to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. On the last evening that restaurants were open for dining in, a patron of TD Tailgate in North Canton left $100 tips for each of the employees working there that night. People are pulling together to be sure school children, seniors, and others get their meals in the wake of school and community center closings. I am sure we will see and hear about multitudes of acts of goodwill from residents of the greater Canton area . . . because that’s who we are!
Everything Good About Canton 