Fire engines and law enforcement vehicles crowded the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and McDonald Street in Gainesville for several hours Saturday, but there wasn't an emergency. To the contrary, it was the first-ever Public Safety Appreciation Day in the neighborhood, an event designed to bring public safety personnel and community members together for a day of fellowship.
Janice C. Young, who chaired the event, said the idea was sparked by a simple conversation at church about showing appreciation for those who work in public safety. That conversation led to a vision for Rev. Isaac Whitehead, Jr., Young's pastor at First Baptist Church on MLK Blvd.
"He shared it with the rest of us and God took over," Young said.
What transpired was a five-hour event in Gainesville's Newtown area, sponsored by the Gainesville-Hall County Coalition of African-American Leaders.
Volunteers smoked chicken on the grill, cooked hamburgers and hot dogs and served up plates free of charge to any public safety personnel in the city. Vendors sold baked goods and fresh produce on the corner lot, a bounce house was set up so children could play and a deejay kept the music playing all afternoon.
The Gainesville Fire Department brought fire trucks and invited kids - and a few grown-ups, too - to climb aboard the vehicles, while the Hall County Sheriff's Office handed out stickers and talked about job opportunities in the department. Members of the Gainesville Police Department and Hall County Fire Services, even the GBI, showed up to spend some time with community members.
"We are seeing the fruit [of our labor] already because we're seeing our public service personnel intermingling with the people of our community and we feel like that's going to be a good start to a good relationship," Young said. "We want them to have a positive image with our culture, with our people."
Rev. Whitehead said the volunteer team expected to feed more than 800 community members and public safety personnel before the day was over. More important than the food, though, was the sense of camaraderie the event created.
Gainesville firefighter Alan Payne said most of his interaction with community members comes when there's an emergency, but the event Saturday gave him a chance to get to know people in a more relaxed setting.
"[It's nice to see people] when they're not busted up in a car wreck or their house has burned down or somebody's really sick and having to be rushed to the hospital. It's kind of nice just to hang out and have fun," Payne said.
Gainesville Fire Capt. Gary Clark said he appreciated the opportunity not only to visit with community members, but also to visit with other public safety personnel.
"[It's been great] just to come out and meet with friends - old friends and new friends," said Clark.
Young was pleased with what she saw transpire in the neighborhood Saturday.
"It's been very positive. They've been out talking, hugging, dancing and just thanking us for appreciating them," Young said. "We recognize that only God could have made this happen."
