David Sher’s ComebackTown for a better greater Birmingham.

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A couple of weeks ago my wife went on a long walk starting and ending in Crestline Village.

She and a friend walk every Sunday and have done so for years.

Unfortunately, on that particular day the temperature was 95º with 80% humidity.

According to the National Weather Service that combination of heat and humidity creates a heat index of 136 degrees.

After her walk, she noticed a Pants Store tent sale in the large grassy area across from the O’Neal Public Library.

The tent was crowded, and, as you can imagine, extremely hot.

She found a pair of shoes on sale for our granddaughter and got in line to pay.

The next thing she knew, she was being carried to a chair.

She had passed out from dehydration.

Everyone was rushing around trying to make her feel comfortable—giving her ice and liquids.

A Pants Store employee, who fortunately was also a nurse, supervised the effort.

The Mountain Brook Fire Department is located across the street and immediately EMT’s walked or ran over to provide additional assistance.

Overriding her protests they put her into an EMS truck and whisked her off to the UAB Emergency Department.

She is fine now, but hasn’t been able to quit talking about the Mountain Brook Fire Department, Pants Store personnel and strangers who assisted her.

While my wife was unconscious, a man noticed she was waiting in line to pay for her shoes, so he paid for them. (BTW, if anyone knows this man, we would like to thank him and pay him back).

My family and I have witnessed acts of kindness like this throughout our lives in Birmingham.

My daughter and I were in a minor automobile wreck a number of years ago on busy I-65. Good Samaritans jumped out of their cars and at great risk to themselves made sure we were okay.

My wife is a breast cancer survivor. When she had her mastectomies and subsequent chemo treatments, friends and neighbors provided meals and support.

After leg surgery a while back, I had to wobble around on crutches. Strangers went out of their way to open doors and find chairs for me when I was out and about.

Good deeds like these take place in Birmingham every day…I’m sure you’ve experienced them yourselves.

Birmingham always ranks among the most charitable cities in the U.S.

Most of you are likely familiar with our local United Way.

But you probably don’t know about United Way’s Tocqueville Society.

To be a Tocqueville member an individual or family must make a minimum contribution of $10,000 to the United Way.

Our United Way has more Tocqueville members than any city in the United States.

Our Tocqueville Society is larger than New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago.

Our Tocqueville Society is larger than Houston, Phoenix, or Philadelphia.

How’s it possible for a United Way in a metropolitan area ranked 50th in U.S. population to have more members than cities ten or fifteen times larger?

We in Birmingham still have a sense of pride in community.

We in Birmingham still care about and look out for one another.

Let’s not take for granted Birmingham’s biggest blessing.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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