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You are here: Home / Community / Ross, Cope Honored During Optimist Lunch

Ross, Cope Honored During Optimist Lunch

September 14, 2015 By Dick Cook 0 Comments

optimist main photo

The East Ridge Optimist Club held its Fourth Annual First Responder Appreciation luncheon at the city’s Community Center, Monday afternoon.

Harry Mackey, the club’s president, said the organization devotes much of its efforts in helping to bring out the best in youth, but this lunch is a gesture to those who serve in law and order and the fire services.

“We wanted to show our respect for what they do and show our appreciation,” Mackey said. “Because I don’t think they get too much.”

The highlight of the lunch was awards presented by the city’s fire chief and police chief.

ross optimist

Bruce Ross was recognized as Officer of the Year during the East Ridge Optimist Club’s luncheon.

Police Chief J.R. Reed, in awarding Cpl. Bruce Ross the Officer of the Year Award, said he found that during Ross’ long career he was an “honest, ethical and professional officer.”

Ross, who recently retired, said he was honored to receive the recognition. “This means a lot to me,” he said. “East Ridge reminds me of where I grew up. I enjoy the people and I will miss everybody.”

Fire Chief Mike Williams reminded everyone in attendance of the price paid by his “brothers” in the fire service on Sept. 11, 2001. He said Sept. 11 was a sad day and that when the World Trade Center buildings collapsed 343 firefighters perished. 

Chief Williams said members of the firefighting fraternity is like a big family and that firefighters often spend more time with their firefighting family than they do at home.

Cope Optimist

Chris Cope, left, was named Firefighter of the Year at the East Ridge Optimist Club’s luncheon.

Williams, in presenting the Firefighter of the Year Award to Chris Cope, said “He’s like my own son, and I mean that.”

Cope was one of three East Ridge firefighters that participated in a “stair climb” _ firefighters climb the same number of stairs in full turn-out gear that their brothers in New York did on the fateful day of Sept. 11 _ in both Chattanooga and Nashville.

Cope joined the ERFD in 2013.

The Optimist Club pulled out all the stops in feting the first responders. Ora Citty, a long-time member of the club, said Mackey did much of the cooking, and he did it on one leg, as he fractured his left foot recently. 

“We started this to honor the efforts of Sept. 11,” Citty said. “This year we couldn’t have it on the actual anniversary. It’s a way to show our appreciation.”

Young Hunter Wolkonowski, a 17-year-old singer/songwriter from Winchester, Tenn., performed an original composition, “Pray for Chattanooga,” that she wrote the day after five service men were murdered at two different recruiting centers in Chattanooga.

One lyric in her song states, “I pray for Chattanooga and the ones that guard our lives,” an appropriate sentiment for the Optimist Luncheon.

Bob “Happy” Hacker provided patriotic background music on his electric piano as the firefighters and officers broke bread together.

 

Filed Under: Community, FEATURED STORY, News, SLIDER

About Dick Cook

Dick Cook has lived in East Ridge since the Kennedy Administration when his parents bought a house on Marietta Street. Dick graduated from ERHS in 1976 before going on to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he studied Political Science. Dick worked for the Chattanooga Free-Press and the Chattanooga Times Free Press for 22 years. Free-Press Sports Editor Roy Exum plucked him out of production in 1989 and gave him a job as a sports reporter. Dick covered everything from prep sports to the whitewater events on the Ocoee River for the 1996 Olympics. When Chattanooga's two paper's merged, he became the Crime Reporter covering both the Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments. He was among reporters who were honored by the Associated Press for the TFP's coverage of the 2002 fog-shrouded crash on I-75 in Catoosa County, Dick and his wife, Cathy, live on Marlboro Avenue where they are seen frequently chasing around their three grandsons.


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