Gem City Shine attendees say event will ‘build a stronger Dayton’

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Sunday night, thousands of people came together to heal through music.

Many people 2 NEWS spoke with said they believe the event will help create an even stronger Dayton.

It was a crowd filled with emotion. Gem City Shine brought thousands from around the Miami Valley to one place to celebrate music and life in the wake of a tragic and devastating summer.

“With the tornadoes happening, with the violence that’s taken place, the city needs the support and sometimes it takes those big names to highlight a tragedy,” said Jillian Ellis who attended the event. “So often we see things on the news and we scroll through to the next post. So, my hope and prayer is people pour into this community and really help build this community to where it needs to be.”

On the surface you could see the smiles and excitement of the thousands of people who packed the streets for the star-studded event. But each person knows the meaning of why they were there.

Showing up in numbers to prove they’re Dayton Strong.

“I’ve never seen a community so strong like Dayton,” said attendee Jaclyn Lees. “I’m from Columbus and when I moved here and saw all the things that were happening, how people just jumped in to help I was just overwhelmed with joy that we’re a part of this community now. It’s awesome.”