Volunteers put on Thanksgiving dinner for on-duty police
Nov 30, 2022, 3:19 PM
SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah — Being able to sit down with family for a couple hours and share a hot meal on Thanksgiving is something many families take for granted.
It often is a luxury, however, for many law enforcement officers tasked with keeping the streets safe over the holiday.
For those men and women, there was an alternative at the Utah Cultural Center in West Valley City Thursday, where a small group gave of their own time and worked all day to prepare meals for on-duty officers and their families.
West Valley City Police Sgt. Ammon Fox said it was a tradition that began eight years ago, with the long day in the kitchen starting before 4 a.m.
“We did it so that families can come have dinner with the officer that has to be on-duty, so we get families here, we get the officers to come eat,” Fox said. “That’s awesome.”
Organizers also set up an honor table to recognize officers killed in the line of duty.
Fox said the group generally stays long after midnight to clean up following the busy day. He said they were able to serve dozens of officers and their family members from multiple departments Thursday through breakfast for day-shift officers and a traditional dinner for night-shift crews.