On each holiday, olive garden restaurants across the country select a law enforcement agency, fire station or hospital for a special dinner. On this Labor Day, the recipient was the Vienna Police Department.
"We've actually worked with veterans, and recognized them on Veterans Day," says Pam Goodrich, General Manager of the Olive Garden in Parkersburg. "And we like to alternate years, so it's in the community Olive Garden is in. We just like to show our honor to all of them."
But nearly all local law enforcement departments had someone working Labor Day. And they weren't alone. Because emergencies of all kinds don't take a holiday.
"We know that, when we sign up for these types of jobs, as doctors and nurses do, that require that you work on holidays, 24 hours," says Detective Mike Stalnaker, Parkersburg Police Department. "It's just another work day, basically."
Police, however, come to expect that their jobs involve working holidays. They believe that it's more difficult for others than it is for them.
"I think our families suffer more than we do," says Sgt. Greg Collins. "We miss a lot of time at home, when our spouses aren't working and our kids are out of school. It creates issues at home sometimes."
So while others were celebrating the day honoring the working person in all of us, others were reminding us what it's really all about.-by working.
