THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Law enforcement officers, 911 communicators, medical personnel, fire/rescue personnel and first responders were honored late last week in two separate appreciation events: “Back the Blue” at the Henderson Police Department and a free community lunch held at Tony’s Auto & Tire.

April Willis, who said she and her family are holding “Back the Blue” donation events as a way to show support for law enforcement, distributed over 150 gift bags on Friday, August 7. Bags were delivered to Henderson Police Department and Highway Patrol officers, including K9s.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said it meant a lot to the officers to be recognized with individual care packages. “My guys said it was very nice,” said Barrow. “The community continues to be as great to us as they have always been.”

Willis said plans are underway to hold a similar event at the Vance County Sheriff’s Office in the near future.

On Saturday, August 8, businesses and individuals from the Vance County community provided a free drive-thru lunch for law enforcement officers and first responders at Tony’s Auto & Tire, 415 Raleigh Road in Henderson.

The event was sponsored by Rebuilding Hope, Action Graphics, Wildeco, Henderson Fruit & Produce, The Help Center, Durham Coca Cola, Sunrise Biscuits, Ladies of the Moose Lodge, Subway of Henderson, Carey Baptist Church, L.H. Dickens, Tony’s Automotive and many others.

“We wanted to honor those that serve our community,” said Tony Sanford, owner of Tony’s Auto. “We have a good police force here and a good community. We want to challenge other communities to do the same thing.”

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame described Saturday’s turnout in one word, ”awesome.”