H.O.P.E. Drug Court Participant Organizes First Responder Appreciation Event in Roseburg
A H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant is organizing a free First Responder Appreciation Event Sept. 19 at Stewart Park, giving local children and families a chance to meet responders, explore emergency vehicles and learn about community services.
ROSEBURG, Ore. - A Douglas County H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant is bringing local first responders, families and children together for a free community event next month at Stewart Park.
The First Responder Appreciation Event will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the large pavilion at Stewart Park in Roseburg.
The event is being organized by H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant Charles Lockridge as his graduation community project. Families will have an opportunity to meet local first responders in a relaxed setting, see emergency and response vehicles, learn about community programs and services, and take part in activities for children.
For Lockridge, the project comes from a personal experience.
“As a child, I experienced a lot of trauma seeing my mother taken away in an ambulance,” Lockridge said. “This event is to give kids an opportunity to meet the people who provide help and assistance, learn what they do, and hopefully not be afraid when help is called.”
Organizers said the goal is to give children a chance to become familiar with first responders before they encounter them during an emergency.
Representatives from several areas of emergency response and community services are expected to participate, including law enforcement, fire and rescue, ambulance and emergency medical services, K9 teams, mobile crisis response, behavioral health services and other local programs.
The event also gives families a chance to learn more about the agencies and organizations that work together when someone in the community needs help.
Community projects are part of the graduation phase of the Douglas County H.O.P.E. Drug Court Program. Participants use the projects as an opportunity to give back to the community while completing the program, which focuses on treatment, accountability, structure and support.
Oregon Pacific Bank and the Umpqua Valley Public Defenders Office are sponsoring the First Responder Appreciation Event.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Douglas County H.O.P.E. Drug Court Program will also hold its 114th graduation ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 5:15 p.m. at Cascade Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The public is invited to attend and recognize participants who have completed the program.
More information about H.O.P.E. Drug Court, upcoming graduations and community projects is available through Douglas County at:
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