Proud to be an All-America City

Six years ago this past week, Cedar Rapids became a disaster area. On Sunday in Denver, it became an All-America City.

The timing was a coincidence. But it was fitting nonetheless.

It was the city's long road back from the Flood of 2008 that provided a poignant backdrop for its bid to become an All-America City. A delegation of 39 local leaders and community members led by Mayor Ron Corbett wowed judges from the National Civil League with a presentation, directed by Theatre Cedar Rapids Executive Director Casey Prince, on Cedar Rapids' remarkable comeback.

'Many of the judges were speechless,” Corbett told The Gazette's Rick Smith. 'It was a community that gave the presentation, and it's so fitting to get this significant award.”

Cedar Rapids was among 10 cities to win the honor. It scored high marks for post-flood efforts to revitalize core neighborhoods, restore and promote arts and culture institutions and encourage greater health and well-being.

The city also won special recognition for its adept use of social media to inform its citizens.

Becoming an All-America City doesn't come with a monetary reward. But we see considerable value. For one thing, it raises the city's national profile and adds one more item to its pitch list to prospective employers and residents.

There's also value in coming together to tell the city's story, to take stock in how far Cedar Rapids has come in six years and be inspired by how so many challenges were overcome. For city leaders, it was a chance to step back from day-to-day issues to see the bigger picture of Cedar Rapids' progress.

Cedar Rapids has many issues that must be addressed and challenges to be met. But for a moment, we can take a breath and be proud to be an All-America City.

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