We Appreciate Our Athens Heroes

This article is a bit different than my usual sharing of environmental information. I would like to use this forum this time to honor our local heroes.

As a member of the Athens Ladies Civitan, I am very proud of the work this group does within our community. The mission of Civitan worldwide is to build good citizenship by providing a volunteer organization of clubs dedicated to serving individual and community needs with an emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities.

One of the many things the club does each year, and my personal favorite project, is to provide a Christmas party for the clients of the Limestone County Mental Health Center. The clients are treated to a full turkey dinner, entertainment, gifts, and a visit from Santa Claus. Our guests look forward to this party with great anticipation.

Entertainment at this year’s party included music by the Athens Dulcimer group and the reading of an original poem titled Athens Christmas Heroes. Mayor Ronnie Marks and members of our Athens Fire and Police Departments helped with the poem.

At the end of the story, our own Athens Police and Firefighters were brought to the front and received a standing ovation for putting their lives on the line every day for this community. It is a difficult time to be an emergency responder, and this was a great opportunity to recognize and appreciate them.

Take a moment to thank our first responders during the holidays and throughout the year. Sometimes we forget about them until we have a need, and at that moment they can become our lifeline.

Reading this story with your children may give you an opportunity to open a dialogue about our first responders and what they truly do for our community.
By: Lynne Hart