By C.D. DESALVO
Hays Post

The annual First Responders Appreciation Barbecue is set to take place on Saturday, June 3, in Frontier Park. The event was started in 2015 by a Knights of Columbus council member in Hays as a way to show appreciation to emergency first responders.

“The Grand Knights for all the Knights of Columbus Councils in Ellis County at the time got together and came up with this, got it all put together and it has continued to grow every year. We just really enjoy doing it for the first responders, and hopefully it continues to grow and get bigger,” said Tim Dickman, member of the Schoenchen Knights of Columbus.

The idea for the appreciation barbecue spawned from a “Blue Mass” that the Catholic Church used to put on to honor emergency first responders. The Knights of Columbus wanted to find a way to include first responders of all religions and the idea of hosting an appreciation barbecue was born.

“By doing the barbecue, we could have an appreciation for all first responders, no matter what religion they were, and it was just a way to cover everyone. It was a way to keep honoring them and what they do for us,” Dickman said. “We come down and feed them, visit with them and thank them for their service.”

The event continues to grow and is open to police, firefighters, highway patrol, EMTs and any other emergency first responders and their families.

“The first year, we did not know what to expect, and it has continued to slowly grow, and we’re just hoping that more and more first responders can come down and have a meal and bring their families,” said Dickman. “We usually serve 20 to 30 more people than we did the year before, so it’s good growth.”

The First Responders Appreciation Barbecue will be on Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is for all active and retired responders and their families. The barbecue will be at Frontier Park at the east shelterhouse. In case of bad weather, the event will be moved to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Activity Center.