WINCHESTER – The idea for a day to honor Winchester first responders came about after Cindy Colbert went to a house fire to see if she could do anything to help.
While speaking with firefighters and police officers who responded to the call, Colbert, who is pastor of the Winchester Assembly, discovered that there had never been a day of appreciation for first responders in the city.
“When I asked them if they would like to have one, one gentleman cried and said, ‘People don’t always appreciate what we do, it’s something we do,'” Colbert said.
The result of the conversations Colbert had that night will come to life Saturday when the first Winchester-area Early Bird Appreciation Day is held at the Scott County Fairgrounds. Colbert is coordinating the event with his church and the Winchester Ministerial Association.
Colbert, who has lived in Winchester for three years, asked Mayor Rex L. McIntire for permission and the event grew from there.
“National First Responders Day is October 28,” Colbert said. “Since nothing had been done before, we decided on October 15 because it worked best for everyone involved.”
The first responders will be honored during a noon ceremony. A free lunch will be served at 1:00 p.m. Meat will be provided, but attendees are asked to bring a covered dish. After lunch, there will be family fun with bounce houses, face painting, a friendly rock station, a magic show and games. A holding tank will also be installed where, for a small fee, community leaders can dip to benefit Winchester EMS.
Colbert emphasized that the entire Winchester community is invited to attend.
“If you don’t know who is serving your community, come meet them,” Colbert said. “While we run from danger, they run toward it. Come out, have fun, and meet the people who protect our community.”
There are 63 firsts serving the community, and while Colbert doesn’t know how many will apply, he thinks there will be a large number because of the feedback he’s received, he said.
“The day will be important because an attitude of gratitude and appreciation is missing today, and we have to set an example for the younger ones,” Colbert said.
“I’m a strong supporter of first responders. I’ve lost a house to a fire and I appreciated what they did,” Colbert said. “I think about all the times I needed police or EMS, we have to show our gratitude.”
The reaction from the community has been overwhelmingly positive and sponsors continue to pitch in to make the day special for the first responders and their families.
“A lot of businesses in town are making this happen so we can show our appreciation and let them know how important they are to our community,” Colbert said.
