I entered Cherokee High School as a sophomore when we moved to Canton. Of course, I didn’t know anyone yet. We were welcomed with open arms and hearts, and I soon felt like I had always lived here. I met many wonderful people during my time at CHS, many of whom are still friends today. Most importantly, I met my future wife, the incredible Stacy Westbrook Yawn, on my first day in homeroom (but that’s a story for another day).
One of the many memories that stands out to me from my time at Cherokee is of the Homecoming Parade during our senior year. I had the honor of pulling our club float in that parade (driving the truck I still own). That was memorable enough but the thing that really stood out to me was the crowd! Going through Downtown Canton the turnout was so heavy that the crowd filled up the sidewalk and spilled over into the street. There was barely room enough for the floats!
I thought about that parade a lot when I moved my business Downtown in 2005 and saw the much smaller crowd that came for the parades.
It was one of my many motivations to get involved and work to bring Downtown back to its former glory. It is why 18 years later I am still involved and working to give the next generations the kind of thriving community I was lucky enough to grow up in.
This is the first in a series of posts about my vision and goals for Canton.
Stay tuned!
