Coming Together in the Midst of Tragedy

Holiday celebration brings hundreds out to Mayfield Plaza

by Kathy McHaney

Mayfield, KY (12/25/2021) — Real estate agent Sarah Elizabeth Farmer was at her home in Paducah two weeks ago when a massive F4 tornado carved a path of destruction through her hometown of Mayfield.

"It was very emotional," Farmer recalled of that evening. She could see where the storm was headed from weather announcers on local television and the National Weather Service. "I was on the phone with my best friend-her dad was directly in the path of the tornado," Farmer said. "They lost service as it was coming through Mayfield, and I let her listen through my phone to the weather service and Trent (Okerson, WPSD meteorologist) as they were walking us through the path."

The massive tornado cut a 250-mile path of devastation across the south-central U.S. and resulted in nearly 100 deaths, more than 70 in Kentucky.

"It's heartbreaking," Farmer said. "It took the heart of Mayfield went right through the heart of Mayfield, and it took all the old standing churches."

A West Kentucky Community and Technical College graduate and agent for Keller Williams Experience Realty, Farmer was immediately compelled to help her hometown how ever she could and spent the next few days driving to Mayfield with food and other supplies.

"I was trying to feed volunteers with pizzas," she said. "I originally had money to buy 20 pizzas, which then quickly grew to $100, so I brought 100 pizzas. I was driving around the Court Square to give them away, and those volunteers were overly fed - it was a great problem to have," she explained. "So, I went over to the neighborhood around the bus garage, and people there are still in their homes and apartments. Within three minutes, the pizzas were all gone!"

The idea for a "Christmas in Mayfield" event grew from Farmer's experience of her initial effort to help. The event held on December 22 in the parking lot of Mayfield Plaza, attracted hundreds of families to enjoy the food, gifts, visits with Santa, princess and superhero figures as well as a chance to check up on their neighbors and friends.

The event was showcased in an "Inspiring America" segment on NBC's Nightly News with Lester Holt on Christmas Eve. Reporter Joe Fryer said more than $400,000 worth of toys were collected in a matter of a few days for the "Christmas in Mayfield" event. "Two weeks after a deadly tornado tore through Mayfield, Kentucky. The community is focusing not on what was swept away, but rather on the kindness that's pouring in," Fryer said in his report.

Farmer said she realized people were coming to the Mayfield plaza to get lunch and putting the food in bags then walking back to their shelter, or wherever they were staying, but no one was actually getting to sit down and eat a hot meal. "So, I thought it was Christmas. These kids haven't seen their friends from school; they might not even know if they're alive or not because a lot of people have lost their phones - they've lost everything," Farmer said. "They haven't seen their teachers - the people they are with the most - and teachers make a huge impact."

Farmer's idea was simple. "I thought how great would it be to give these parents a break and let these kids have just a little joy and see Santa?" she said. "I was going to bring a chair (for Santa) from my house, and have Santa, then round up a couple of food trucks and just hang out. But it turned into something so huge!"

With the help of her friend, Courtney Smith, Farmer was able to get tables, chairs, and lights taken to the Mayfield Plaza. Christmas trees were donated by businessman Steven Elder both for decoration and to give away. Texas Roadhouse provided hot meals. Farmer also acknowledged the help of Shawn Triplett, who raised thousands of dollars to buy and donate toys.

"My idea was just to be able to sit down and eat an actual dinner at an actual table and to see Santa, but everyone just pulled together for this. It turned into something much bigger (than I expected). I hope it turns into a tradition," Farmer said, adding, "this tells you something about Mayfield. We all come together. With the help of everyone, it will be a blessing - a light in a dark time."

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