Mayor Frank Brocato
September is sure to be a busy month for us here in the city of Hoover. There’s lots of exciting things taking place.
On Sept. 7, we will hold our annual Climb to Remember in recognition of Patriot’s Day, the day set aside to honor the brave first responders who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Mike White will be our guest speaker. For 11 years, Mike served as a Navy SEAL in our nation’s military, and for several years after that, he was the general manager of the Riverchase Galleria. The day will also include first responders and members of the community participating in a stair climb, symbolic of the 110 stories that first responders climbed that fateful day.
On Sept. 18, the city will go before the State Health Planning and Development Agency in Montgomery. We hope this is the final step to getting approval for a certificate of need that would allow for an ambulatory surgical and diagnostic center at Riverwalk Village. We believe we have a very strong case to present showing the major impact this project will have for Hoover and beyond when it comes to health care. We look forward to presenting our case before the CON board and feel confident they will agree with us that this is a great need for the city.
Also in September, from the 24th to the 28th, we welcome back the National Firefighter Challenge. This is our second year hosting this exciting event, which is captivating to watch! Three hundred firefighters from across the world participate in skills-based obstacles courses dubbed by ESPN as “the toughest two minutes in sports.” Those courses simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting, such as climbing a tower, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized victim. Participants do it all while wearing full turnout gear and air packs on their backs! I hope you will come and watch it in person.
Like the Hartford Nationals, which we hosted in July, and the SEC Baseball tournament, which we’ve hosted for the last 20 years, these events show that Hoover continues to make an impression on the national sports tourism stage.
We are thrilled with the opportunities that continue to come our way, and we look forward to many more in the future. We are especially excited about the major renovations we are making to the Hoover Met Stadium, which we believe will make us more attractive for other events as well. Stay tuned!
