Christmas miracle: After tornado, kindness helps save toys for needy Hendersonville kids

Brad Schmitt, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

A Christmas miracle has emerged from the wreckage of a tornado that killed six Middle Tennesseans and displaced hundreds from their homes.

Hundreds of Christmas toys for needy kids in Hendersonville remained largely intact, though the tornado mostly destroyed the building where they were stored, the small nonprofit Live Love Nashville posted on social media.

"The tornado stopped within feet of these children's Christmas presents," the nonprofit posted on Facebook. "It doesn't make sense at all why these gifts were spared, they were inches away - but they were!"

It is SUCH a miracle no one was seriously injured!!!!!! Please watch this video to the end to truly realize how the tornado stopped within feet of these children's Christmas presents. It doesn't make sense at all why these gifts were spared, they were inches away- but they were! | Live Love Nashville | Live Love Nashville · Original audio

Those gifts, and food for about 150 kids, were being stored at Big Play Entertainment Center in Hendersonville. A video shows go-karts and the tracks there heavily damaged by strong winds.

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But later, the video shows boxes of food and dozens of toys, including bicycles, intact in rooms just yards away from the major damage.

The charity, started in 2016 by Hendersonville resident Taylor Rowe Reed — who has received on-air donations twice from "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" when it was on the air — posted more good news Monday.

A screen grab from a Live Love Nashville Facebook video Dec. 10, 2023, showing food and toys for the disadvantaged remained largely intact after a tornado heavily damaged the Big Play Entertainment Center in Hendersonville, Tenn., where the supplies were being stored.
A screen grab from a Live Love Nashville Facebook video Dec. 10, 2023, showing food and toys for the disadvantaged remained largely intact after a tornado heavily damaged the Big Play Entertainment Center in Hendersonville, Tenn., where the supplies were being stored.

Live Love Nashville posted that community volunteers helped find a new place to store the food and Christmas toys, and volunteers had moved all the supplies into that new space Sunday.

"Yesterday I saw first hand why Tennessee is named the volunteer state," the post began.

"We knew we needed to move quickly to get all the food for 150 kids & all the Christmas gifts for 500 kids out of Big Play before they came in and possibly condemned the building.

"Our community showed UP to help us!

"Strangers I have never met- the owner and managers of Big Play who just lost their jobs/building, my friends & family. @hookedonconsignmentnatalie found us an incredible new space, and everything was moved within hours!!!!"

The Tennessean couldn't immediately reach Rowe or others Live Love Nashville for comment.

Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tornado miracle: Christmas presents survive winds that damaged warehouse