In the year since that tornado, Danni Legg, 41, has been working tirelessly to convince Oklahoma lawmakers that the best way to honor her son’s legacy is to try to equip every school in the state with a tornado shelter or safe room. She’s given dozens of interviews and granted more than 100 speaking requests. She’s gathered signatures for a petition and walked the halls of the state Capitol.
Her argument seems to fit the definition of reasonable: Students are required to attend school; therefore, schools should be required to ensure they are safe from violent storms. It also comes with an emotional gut-punch: Her son’s elementary school, Plaza Towers, in Moore, Oklahoma, did not have a storm shelter.
Christopher’s life, and those of six other students who died in that EF5 storm, might have been spared if the state or school had protected them.
“Something good’s gotta come out of this,” Danni Legg told me.
It should, but there’s little sign the state is listening.
Related: Walking the 17-mile path of the tornado
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After the storm, Legg considered leaving Moore, avoiding it all.
But she thought about her kids — and others across the state.
“I wanted to prove to my children — just like my daddy taught me — if a horse kicks you off, you get back on,” said Legg, who grew up on a farm. “I wanted them to understand this town did not kill their brother.”
This mom, who describes herself as “competitive as snot,” doesn’t plan to quit pushing for greater access to tornado shelters, whether she wins the race or not.
She has the legacy of a hero to protect.
And the state would be wise to listen.
