This past weekend hundreds of people flocked to Phil Campbell — some from the other side of the globe — to participate in the “I’m with Phil” tornado relief event.

The events that took place not only provided area residents with help as they attempt to rebuild their homes and fun activities to relieve some of the stress associated with clean up, but also brought much-needed attention to the small town.

The town suffered quite a bit of damage in the April tornado, but did not receive much publicity due to its small population and rural location. Bigger towns in Alabama such as Huntsville and Tuscaloosa became associated with the disaster and received most of the news coverage.

Phil Campbell lacks the resources of these larger towns, so rebuilding is more of a challenge. Thanks to all of the people who came to Phil Campbell, many national news outlets also visited the town to report on the events.

It reminded many people that small towns like Phil Campbell are still working hard to rebuild.