Oso strong: The pain that connected the Oso community is what keeps them close today



OSO, Wash.  —  Somewhere in the valley,  amid the hills and the horses, is a place where everyone belongs.

"There's a really down home earthiness.  We know what you like to eat and drink when you’re one of our regular customers," says Bonnie Rose of Rhodes River Ranch.

The faces are familiar as the company rolls in.

"We do murder mystery dinner, sip, dip and doodle. We do jewelry parties, we do vintage market, anything that helps support our community and bring people in is a good thing," says Rose.

Wednesday night is Bingo in Oso.

"Ms. Donna comes in and calls and, it all depends, we never know which cast of characters is going to show up," says Rose.

Ron and Gail are always on time.

And Jeff and Jan are just a table away.

"Jan and I are both firefighter/EMT’s.  After the slide, we started coming here on Wednesday nights," says Jeff McClellan.

There’s Timmy from the Firehouse. And Carrie runs the bed and breakfast down the road.

"And that’s what it’s all about, is the heart healing, and, five years later, healing and the heart," says Rose.

The pain that connected them is now the purpose that keeps them so close.

"It’s one of those things where, every once in a while, it still hits really hard. Or there’s certain peoples faces, the ones who we went through a lot with, who were closer and then it just feels like it just happened," says Rose.

"It’s just wonderful to see people that we know in the community that were affected by it and people that responded to it or people who came and helped because they wanted to do something for the community," says McClellan.

"To come here tonight, just kind of by accident heading back home, and seeing a lot of the guys I met back then, just all happened to be here tonight so it’s kind of like meant to be," says Atz Kilcher.