On Wednesday, May 6, Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors hosted an appreciation event for first responders at Piedmont Henry Hospital.

  Members from the community, first responders, and mayors and representatives from all five cities in Henry County were in attendance for a short service and a parade.

  Opening remarks were made by Greg Cannon, of Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors, expressing their thanks for the tireless efforts of local first responders during COVID-19. 

  “We cannot, in any way, sum up in words, our appreciation,” said Cannon.

  Mayor Anthony Ford of Stockbridge, reminisced about his time spent at Piedmont Henry Hospital in 2011 before praising first responders for all they do for the community. 

  “You did a great job then, with me, and all the patients that you deal with then, as you do now. Keep up the good work, because we need you in our community,” said Ford. 

  Mayor Pro Tem Marty Meeks of Hampton shared his thoughts on saving lives, deeming it “a noble profession.” 

  “Some of us can’t even imagine the mix of emotions that medical professionals face on a daily basis,” said Meeks.“Speaking for myself and probably for many others, you have made us feel confident in your abilities, grateful for your dedication, very thankful for your service, and very proud that you are our lifesavers.”

  Mayor Robert Price of Locust Grove expressed that the efforts of first responders “just means so much to all of us.”

  Mayor Copeland of McDonough stated that he is grateful for the efforts of Piedmont Henry Hospital in serving Henry County during this time. 

  “We are so fortunate to have Piedmont Henry Hospital and all that they are doing to keep our community safe,” said Copeland. “We have seen how the COVID-19 virus has devastated our nation, the world, and Henry County since the beginning of this year. Piedmont Henry and other healthcare facilities have ministered to our needs with a smile, many long hours, tired feet, and which we will forever be grateful.”

  Lily Henson, CEO of Piedmont Henry Hospital stated that “it means a lot to see the community unite behind our healthcare heroes.”

  Toward the end of the ceremony, Lynna Schmidt,  president of the Henry Arts Alliance, and Jill Shedd, a Speech and Language Pathologist at Mt. Carmel Elementary sang a whimsical rendition of “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole with the lyrics rewritten to show their love to first responders. 

  The service ended with a prayer from Pastor Brady Howard of Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough. 

  Following the appreciation service, members of the community, to include local law enforcement, businesses, schools, churches and individuals drove by Piedmont Henry Hospital in an appreciation parade, flashing their lights, honking their horns, and yelling out to the hospital staff present outside the hospital. The parade reconvened at Redhawk Baseball Complex to drive past the Henry County 911 center before dispersing.

  A total of 134 vehicles took part in the appreciation parade.

  “It was very moving for me,” said Cannon. “I was standing close to some of the hospital staff, maintaining my social distance, but close enough that I could see their faces. And I was so excited when I watched them smile and wave. But the most gratification that I got was looking at those same faces again and [seeing] tears rolling down their faces. At that point, I realized what that event meant to them.” 

  Prior to the parade, roughly 3,400 meals were donated to Piedmont Henry Hospital from vendors and organizations in Henry County. 

  The decision to recognize local first responders, Cannon stated, was meant to provide encouragement to the community through unity. 

  “I know that all of us need encouragement through these times,” said Cannon. “I thought to myself, ‘How do we help bring our entire community together?’ One of the ways to do that was to show appreciation for all of those people who are working tirelessly, who are putting their lives on the line to help keep us alive. Those people need to know that this community supports them.”

  Cannon is appreciative for the response from the community at the event, expressing their support for first responders.

  “I am grateful for that because it made this event what it was. Without the help of all of those people, it would not have been the way it turned out to be,” said Cannon. 

  In the future, Cannon hopes that Henry County will continue to recognize the efforts of our local first responders and medical professionals. 

  “There’s going to be a lot of changes in our lives and a lot of it is going to be for the betterment. We are learning the importance of things,” said Cannon. “Something that I hope goes by the wayside is taking for granted those first responders and those medical professionals in those hospitals. I hope that we understand the true importance of what they do and how that impacts us, not only individually, but as a society.”