| Updated: 9/12/2012 9:20 am |
Published: 9/11/2012 5:56 pm
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Country singer and long-time Tulsa resident Ronnie Dunn is making sure hard-working first responders in Green Country know they're appreciated.
He was known for being one-half of the group Brooks and Dunn.
Dunn and his brother-in-law, Armando Mata, decided to feed lunch to police officers and firefighters in Jenks.
Mata owns the Ron Hamburgers and Chili there.
"A simple thank you that's all most policemen, firefighters and medics want. We’re not asking for hero status, a simple thank you is all we want," Jenks Police Officer Paul Rinkel.
But he says he was grateful to see the act of kindness. 11 years ago, terrorism hit America in a way many had never seen before. Rinkel remembers where he was when it happened.
"I was working dayshift at the police department,” he said.
The 28 year veteran officer told FOX23 first responders lives are always on the line. That is one of the reasons Dunn and Mata wanted to show them a little appreciation.
"We have a lady officer here whose husband was killed in the line of duty,” Mata told FOX23. “We should never forget the fallen. “I posted earlier we should always remember the fallen and give back to those who's serving."
Regardless of what day of the year it is, that's a message they want everyone to remember.
"We never know what's going to happen,” Rinkel told FOX23. “We never know how serious that it can get. We should be glad for the people we have available to respond to these situations."
"When people start to forget that means we're not doing our job patriotically," said Mata.
Dunn is calling this event, "I love this country" campaign. He hopes it will become an annual event.
