- April 19, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
When the Downtown Improvement District was looking for a way to honor the first responders who work in the heart of the city, board member Mark Kauffman turned to Eric Massey.
Massey, a commercial real estate agent, had a good working relationship with Kauffman, a prolific downtown developer. But beyond the professional connection, Massey agreed to dedicate his personal time to this endeavor because he strongly believed in the cause.
“A lot of what they do is to help the community,” Massey said. “You need to give back. You need to thank them.”
Two months later, a program is rounding into shape. On Tuesday, the DID approved a $20,000 budget for what’s being called First Responders Appreciation Month, scheduled for this January.
In addition to producing DID-sponsored flags and buttons for downtown businesses to display throughout the month, the group is working on getting other people involved in the effort. More than half of the budget would go toward “Lunch on the DID” — two free lunch coupons for the 162 police officers and 50 EMS/fire personnel in the downtown area.
After contacting a few major downtown restaurants, Massey said the owners were eager to participate.
“I have gotten a great response from the restaurants,” Massey said. “They seem very thankful to have these guys around, monitoring what’s going on downtown.”
The appreciation month also includes a letter-writing campaign. Officials at Sarasota Military Academy and Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences have agreed to participate.
More than anything, the organizers hope to assure Sarasota’s first responders that the community is deeply supportive of the work they do.
“Police officers and first responders are usually only dealing with people when they’re going through the most trauma of their life or they’re in the most trouble of their life,” Massey said. “Neither is really conducive to stopping and saying thank you. When they get these letters from kids reminding them why they’re doing this, I think it’s invaluable.”
