The healing process continues in West as the community comes together for a healing walk through town.
In the middle of the afternoon on Good Friday, the West community gathered at City Hall to walk through town. It's the second time they've had a walk since the explosion. On July 17, 2013 residents walked through the area of the town with the most damage in zone three. Father Anthony Odiong came back from Rome to lead that walk.
"So we can re-enter like it was shut down. We were in exile so to speak, so that was like retaking the city," Odiong said.
Odiong came back again this year on Good Friday to lead what he calls a reconstruction walk. Residents walked through zone two, which had several homes suffer major damage, but most are either rebuilt or repaired.
"I think this will heal the people the unity, the fellowship, faith hope and love. Nothing heals like being together."
The walk featured the young and old and even had golf carts and trailers to carry those who cannot walk. Some high schoolers, who were also at the walk in 2013, were there again. They described this year as more positive, but still a part of the healing process.
"It was a tragedy, but in a way we're thanking God for all the positives that have come out of it," West resident Andrew French said.
"Each Saturday morning we have a cleanup crew that we go to people's houses here being rebuilt and we help cleanup the construction site and we've done that for probably the last 25 Saturdays," West resident Cameron Wolf said.
Wolf says for him it was nice seeing the constructed houses after he volunteered to help build them back up. For some though, it was good to see their own homes back amongst the community.
"I don't think we'll ever be fully healed from this, but it definitely helps. Like this walk, it definitely helps the healing process," Wolf said.
