10/19/2026
What a full and special weekend in Hendersonville! ❤️
Our family had the opportunity to be part of some truly meaningful community events this weekend, and we have so much we’d love to share. Each one touched our hearts in a different way, and we feel they each deserve their own moment of recognition.
First, Saturday’s Tunnel to Towers 5K. 🇺🇸❤️
What an incredible morning of remembrance, gratitude, and community as we came together to honor the lives lost on September 11 and the extraordinary sacrifices made by our military and first responders.
A heartfelt thank you to Dan and LeeAnn Bristol for their dedication to bringing this event to Hendersonville year after year, along with the many wonderful volunteers who make it possible.
What made this morning so special was seeing people from every walk of life come together for a common purpose. Firefighters running in full turnout gear, some carrying their equipment, others running alongside their families or pushing strollers. Firefighters who traveled from other cities and states to participate. EMTs, law enforcement officers, fellow first responders, community leaders, and neighbors all showing up in support.
We saw moms and dads pushing strollers, families walking and running together, and people who may have found every step challenging but kept moving forward. Jennifer completed the entire 5K on her prosthesis, making it a particularly meaningful experience for our family as well.
And that’s what made this morning so meaningful. Every person there chose to show up—not just to run or walk, but to honor the memories of those we lost, stand alongside the families they left behind, and support an organization that continues to make a difference in their lives. It was a beautiful reminder of what it means for a community to come together for something greater than ourselves.
With two sons who have served and are serving in the U.S. Navy, including one who is now a first responder, the mission of Tunnel to Towers is especially close to our hearts.
But perhaps one of the most meaningful parts of the morning was sharing this experience with our daughters and talking with them about September 11, 2001.
They weren’t yet born when our nation experienced that heartbreaking day, but it’s our responsibility to make sure their generation understands what happened, remembers the lives that were lost, and recognizes the courage and sacrifice of those who answered the call.
We keep their memory alive by continuing to tell their stories, from one generation to the next. 🇺🇸
Our gratitude goes out to Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Hendersonville, TN (Dan and LeeAnn Bristol), Hendersonville Fire Department (TN) - Official Site (Hendersonville Firefighters Association Local 3460), all the first responders, volunteers, families, and community members who came together to support this incredible cause.
And tomorrow, we’d love to share about another very special event we attended today—Jameson Wharton’s Football for the Cure. Another beautiful example of the heart of this community. ❤️
David Ramos | Ward 2