Hero’s Day – An Appreciation of Our 1st Responders

From our Leadership Evergreen Class of 2017, one of their class projects that they are doing for the entire year of 2018, and hopefully beyond!

Hero’s Day – An Appreciation of Our 1st Responders

What would you do if you heard the sound of gunfire? What would you do if a bomb exploded nearby? Your instincts would tell you to run; run as fast as you could in the opposite direction, right?

A 1st Responder runs towards the gunfire. A 1st Responder runs towards the explosion and into the fire. They are heroes. They need to be thanked. They need our thanks!

The goal of Hero’s Day is to show appreciation to a different 1st Responder agency each month. These organizations are selected from Jefferson, Clear Creek and Park Counties. Agencies range from sheriff’s departments, fire and rescue, EMS, 911 dispatch operators, Alpine Rescue, Flight for Life, K-9 unit, and more. Some of these agencies have paid staff. Many rely heavily on volunteers.

Leadership Evergreen’s Class of 2017 kicked off its inaugural event on Monday, January 8th. They honored the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit, a group of approximately 27 men and women who have gone through a 300 hour sheriff’s training academy. They volunteer their time and talents to help the sheriff’s office deliver its day-to-day law enforcement services and to assist during emergencies. Reserves are given a variety of assignments: bicycle and mounted-patrol duties, crime scene security, crime-prevention presentations, detentions and civil operations, patrol and law enforcement duties, along with many other duties.

“Thanks so much for what you all did,” said Sergeant Richard Fleming, JCSO Volunteer Services Coordinator. “It was fantastic and very much appreciated.” The Leadership Evergreen class donated items pre-determined by the Reserves to be on their “wish list.” Items included water bottles, sports drinks, granola bars, hand sanitizers, hard candies, trail mix, cheese and crackers, beef jerky, sunscreen, hand warmers, stuffed animals and $5 gift cards to Starbucks or Subway.

In a selfless act, continued Fleming, “Just so you know, after you left we talked it over as a group and the gift cards will be given to our Victim Advocates Unit as well as some of the stuffed animals. They will be able to make some of the victim’s day by providing them these items.”

How can you help? It could be as simple as writing a thank you note. From speaking with various 1st Responders it is clear how important a ‘thank you’ is and how seldom it is received. Valentine’s Day cards will be available at Seasonally Yours and at the Feb 3rd Boogie at the Barn for the public to write thank you notes inside of them for the K-9 Unit.

Each month a Signup Genius email will be sent out customized for that specific Hero’s Day organization. You can choose to sign up and donate needed items or you can choose not to. Simply ignore or delete the email.

Leadership Evergreen welcomes and encourages participation from school groups, Scouts, churches, and service organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis, and Elks. Can you envision a sack of thank you notes being dumped overflowing on a table in front of a well-deserving group? What an awesome sight! Please help make that happen.

Upcoming LE Hero’s Day events:
February 14th - JCSO K-9 Unit
March - Evergreen Fire and Rescue
April - Highland Rescue Team Ambulance District
May - Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division

To be included in the Signup Genius email, or for questions or more details on upcoming events, please go to: www.leadershipevergreen.org/heros-day-project/ or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On February 14, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit was recognized for their tireless contributions to our mountain community. As part of the Leadership Evergreen 2017 class project to honor area 1st Responders, local residents provided lunch and Valentines Day/thank you cards for the K-9 Unit humans, and many treats and toys for the dogs.

The K-9 Unit is used in high-risk situations such as building searches, tracking suspects or lost individuals, and discovery of concealed narcotics and explosives. JCSO currently has German Shepherds trained to detect narcotics; a Belgian Malinois trained to detect explosives; and a bloodhound for tracking and cadaver searches. Malinois K-9 Thorn (on right) is by far the best looking and most impressive K-9 in the unit.

...'We were overwhelmed by the show of support and generosity the [community] group displayed towards us. It is heartwarming and comforting to know we have people who are behind us'... said Deputy JJ Smith.

The next Hero's Day event will be at Evergreen Fire Rescue on March 26, 2018 at 7pm.
For information and/or participation, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Our Leadership Evergreen Class of 2017 is at it again, with this month's Hero's Day benefiting Evergreen Fire Rescue! Way to go everyone! For more information about Hero's Day and to get involved, please go to our website page here: www.leadershipevergreen.org/heros-day-project/ or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Upcoming LE Hero’s Day events:
April - Highland Rescue Team Ambulance District
May - Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office Patrol Division

'We welcome and encourage participation from school groups, Scouts, churches, and service organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis, and Elks. Can you envision a sack of thank you notes being dumped overflowing on a table in front of a well-deserving group? What an awesome sight! Please help make that happen."

Thank you Leadership Evergreen for donating to EFR several dozen rehab bags filled with goodies like hand sanitizer, tissues, lip balm, etc. Great for those long calls!

The 2017 Leadership Evergreen class has chosen to celebrate our local mountain area First Responders. Each month, we are selecting a different First Responder group to recognize. You or your business can help by simply writing and sending a thank you note or get as involved as you'd like by providing needed items.

Please sign up to help us honor and thank the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office. These men and women in the Patrol Division provide service to the unincorporated areas of Clear Creek County. www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0a4ba9af29a0f58-may2018

Below is a list of items for 'To Go' bags that they will keep in their vehicles for emergency purposes. Leadership Evergreen thanks Evergreen National Bank for their generous sponsorship of this event, covering the costs associated with the needed items!

What we could use help with are thank you notes. You'd be surprised how much a simple thank you means to a 1st Responder. We appreciate Carlson Elementary and the thank you notes their school is providing.

You can drop off a thank you card or sign an existing thank you card at the following locations during normal business hours:

Big O Tires 29032 Crossroads Lane; Evergreen

Evergreen National Bank 1546 Miner Street; Idaho Springs

Evergreen National Bank 502 6th Street; Georgetown

Or email your thanks to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please drop off or sign the thank you cards at the above locations by Tuesday, May 22, end of business day.

We will be delivering the 'To Go' bags and thank you's to the Clear Creek Country Sheriff's Department at 11A on Wednesday, May 23 at their Georgetown facility. Leadership Evergreen thanks Beaujo's Pizza in Idaho Springs for their wonderful pizza donation for this special celebration.

What is a Hero? Who is a Hero?

How do you define a Hero? Well, that depends on who you ask. If you ask a child, a Hero will be described with a colorful costume, mask and a trademark cape. A Google search says a Hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Strangely enough, if you ask a Hero to define what a Hero is, you get a humble response that, “we are just regular people doing our jobs”, said Rick Albers, Clear Creek Sheriff on Wednesday, May 23.

Leadership Evergreen honored the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Administration, Patrol, Investigation, Detentions and SWAT as part of their Hero’s Day project. Each month, LE is honoring various 1st Responding agencies throughout the mountain community.


“Our law enforcement officers need to hear from us how much we value their work to keep us safe and secure.  The Clear Creek Sheriff's office serves a broad range of challenging geography and people, and it's really nice to hear the Evergreen neighborhood express their appreciation.  Your group should be commended for showing the leadership to make that happen”, said Randy Wheelock, Clear Creek County Commissioner, District 3.


Leadership Evergreen would like to extend their gratitude to all of the business sponsorships that helped make this a very special celebration for the CCSO. Evergreen National Bank and Costco sponsored the purchase of items for the emergency ‘To Go’ bags – A bag chock-full of water, Gatorade, granola bars, trail mix, beef jerky, lip balm, sunscreen, tissue & a first aid kit. Beau Jo’s provided pizza; Safeway donated salad, chips and drinks; and Walmart contributed cookies.


The community has really rallied to support the Hero’s Day project. Thank you notes were dropped off at Evergreen National Bank and Big O Tires. Wilmot students also wrote notes of thanks and Carlson Elementary made a poster.


“The ‘To Go’ bags are great for the patrol car,” said a patrol deputy. “The thank you cards and the poster from the kids were really nice; touching.”


For more information, please go to: www.leadershipevergreen.org/heros-day-project/
If you are interested in helping or sponsoring a future Hero’s Day, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To participate in our next Hero’s Day event honoring the Foothills Fire Department or to find out about future Hero’s Day:
www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0a4ba9af29a0f58-june