Event planned to honor law enforcement
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 24, 2016 1:46 PM
As the recent shooting deaths of law enforcement officers played out in the news Goldsboro businessman George Williams decided something needed to be done to let local officers know they are appreciated.
"I started thinking about this when the shooting occurred in Dallas when the police officers got killed -- five of them got killed -- and then just a few days later Baton Rogue," Williams said. "It just keeps going. The last count I had Monday night (Aug. 15), it was 33 or 34 officers in the United States have been shot and killed."
Wayne County and its municipalities have been fortunate not to have officers shot, he said.
"I thought it was time for us to show our appreciation to our law enforcement and to do something for them," he said.
That something will be a free dinner for all law enforcement officers in the county, and community support to help make it happen is appreciated, he said.
The dinner will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Wayne Center and will be catered by McCall's restaurant.
There will be no formal program. Officers can just come and eat and go as they need, he said.
Williams started the project by contracting Sheriff Larry Pierce, who told him he thought it was a "great idea."
Williams' next step was to select a steering committee.
It includes Williams and his daughter, Denise Combs, retired police chief Jackie Warrick, Pierce's wife, Rita, and Susie Daniels.
"We went to work, and we are still working," Williams said.
The committee has appeared before Wayne County commissioners and Goldsboro City Council asking not for money, but just support, he said.
The City Council at its Monday. Aug. 15, meeting approved a resolution proclaiming Thursday, Sept. 8, as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.
"We are going to have a dinner on that same day for all the law enforcement, not excluding none in Wayne County," Williams said. "We have gotten in touch with all of the municipalities and invited all the mayors and all the police officers.
"They have all agreed it is a good idea and that it is time for us to do something -- past due. We have adopted a budget of about $4,000 is all we are going to need to pay for the food and what other few expenses we have."
Williams said they don't care if 500 officers show up.
"We are going to feed them," he said. "They can come by, and get a meal. There is not going to be any ceremony or anything. They can just leave and go their way. If some officers can't come by, we will let officers take them food. They can come by, pick them up a plate and leave and go home with it if they want to. That is fine.
"We just want to be sure that all of the officers are fed a good meal. We are going to have barbecue, fried chicken, cole slaw, bread and tea and water. We will have plenty there to help serve."
The committee is raising funds and one church has volunteered to take up a special offering for the project, he said.
"We already have received some checks," Williams said. "We'd like to ask the businesses and individuals, not the city of Goldsboro, not the county of Wayne, we want individuals and businesses and churches to make a small contribution -- nothing big. We don't need anything big. If we don't raise any money, we are going to take care of any cost,"
Any money remaining will be divided and donated to charitable organizations in the county Williams said.
If the support is strong enough, the dinner might be made into an annual event, he said.
Williams served for 15 years in the rescue squad.
"Had it not been for a lot of the Highway Patrolmen, deputy sheriffs and city police, I might not even had been here to have this," he said. "I oftentimes didn't tell them thank you enough."
Make checks payable to Friends of Law Enforcement and mail them to P.O. Box 10217, Goldsboro, N.C. 27533,
"We would appreciate anything, any help that we can get," Williams said. "It does not have to a real large contribution. We will take anything from $10 to $25 to $50. All of the small ones count up."
For more information, call Williams at 919-222-2201.