Kerrville tries to merge tragedy, celebration with a night of healing

People who live in Kerrville may not turn to outsiders, but they know what inward looks like. In fact, finding a greater community strength in tragedy is their "strong" in "KerrvilleStrong" and "HillCountryStrong." But even the strongest need a shoulder and community to help them process the unthinkable.

"It's a shame because the Guadalupe River is one of the parts that makes the Texas Hill Country so great, especially in Kerr County," Rusty Risinger said. "I grew up on this river. I spent half of my life literally probably in that water."

Risinger recalls good memories on the Guadalupe River that turn tragic. Risinger said he was at his family's property in Center Point when he could tell by radar that things didn't look good. But no one knew the horrific outcome.

"It's going to take a generation for this to go away," he said. "As long as I'm alive. Never get to forget. And every time you don't remember, all you have to do is drive by the river."

Risinger, a paramedic in Austin, said his friends lost children in the flood. His children were baptized at Camp Mystic. His daughter almost went to camp during that session. And he went from resident to part of a volunteer recovery team, bagging bodies as they were found.

"Like my family was safe here, and there was our community that lost all of that. It's hard to talk about, you know," he said.

He is also part of The Arcadia Live, a nonprofit in Kerrville that partnered with faith-based and mental health partners to put on "Faith and Fellowship." Described as a night of healing and mental health packaged in a Christian concert with pastors and advocates available to help those navigate the eve of the tragedy — one year later.

"After the devastating floods of last year, God had just placed it on our hearts that this is going to be a hard day for our community," Carissa Warren said. "It's a hard week for our community. God put this on our hearts to do some sort of healing night."

Warren is a children's minister at Southern Oaks Church in Kerrville. She said their other partner is Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers (MHDD).

"It's about grieving together and healing together and sharing the hope we have in the Lord," she said.

From 6-9 p.m., music, prayers, and the gospel filled Louise Hays Park, where more than 100 people came. Saturday, the tears and pain may not vanish, but they move into Fourth on the River, merging tragedy and celebration.