There are a few things the men and women of Driver want people to know.

Life in Driver did not end with last year’s tornado.

Businesses are open and well.

It is time to move forward.

“We really want to get past the tornado now and say, ‘We’re here. We’re alive. And we’re moving forward,’” said Joan Mayo, owner of the Knot Hole in Driver.

On May 2, the village will be holding Driver Alive, a celebration of last year’s survival and the hope for a successful future.

“We wanted it as close to the year anniversary as we could,” Mayo said. “So many people have come through and said to me, ‘We thought everything in Driver was closed after the tornado.’ They were surprised to see we were open and some of the others have opened up. We just thought it would be good idea to let people know that we are alive, and we wanted to really thank everybody for what they have down to help us revive.”

Beginning at 10 a.m., the village will open up for guests to see the newly restored businesses.

The event is free and open to the public, and will feature a concert from the band, Honkytonk Highway. Additionally, throughout the afternoon there will be children’s activities, as well as an adopt-a-thon from the Suffolk Humane Society.

The adopt-a-thon will also help unveil the Humane Society’s new satellite office in Driver, located next to Arthur’s General Store.

“We are excited about this opportunity to be part of a celebration of Driver. We lost our largest foster facility, as well as other foster homes in the tornado,” Angela Chandler, president of Suffolk Humane Society’s Board of Directors said in a press release. “We are happy to have our new office in a community that cares about each other as well as their animal companions.”

Driver Alive will last until 6 p.m., and food and beverages will be available for sale on site.

For more information on the event, call 538-2488.

“We just want the community to know that we are here,” Mayo said. “There were so many people within the community that came out that help us after the storm, we want to thank them, as well.”