A Star is born in Ellijay, GA joins stars in Joplin Missouri

Actually thousands of stars are coming to life in Joplin, MO. Some stars traveled from Ellijay, Georgia and some were created in Joplin today! Stars of Hope set up under a large tent displaying a beautiful American Flag at Missouri Southern State University. Volunteers enjoyed greeting folks from Joplin and many other States as they handed out stars to be painted with unique thoughts, prayers, and inspirational messages or pictures of remembrance. Adults and children alike stopped by to paint the stars that will be attached to over 3500 stakes placed throughout the Joplin community. There was also a pretty unique star decorated by the Unsinkable Molly Brown, a local search and rescue dog and the only one with a pacemaker. Molly was able to search 8 days in a row following the tornado that hit in Joplin on May 22nd. Molly’s humans (Allen and Alicia Brown) operate 4 State Search and Rescue in Joplin, MO.

As one volunteer explained today, once the children paint the stars, and then they are placed throughout the path of the recent tornado – it will give the community something beautiful and inspirational to focus on when they drive through their town. Instead of seeing the debris they will instead be able to try and see if they can find the star they created amongst the colorful stars decorating their streets.

The New York Says Thank You and the Stars of Hope bring a simple approach with a powerful message. We are all Americans and we can all reach out to each other and bring strength, inspiration, hope, love, and the reassuring knowledge that we are all survivors of something and we are not alone! There will be a star placed for each life lost on 9/11 and each life lost in Joplin’s tornado. I cannot imagine a more fitting way for Americans to honor and remember on this 10 year anniversary of 9/11 than to gather together in Joplin, MO to “Pay it forward!”