Showing Appreciation to Firefighters Working on Labor Day

By: Chad Silber - Email

Updated: Tue 7:17 AM, Sep 04, 2012

Not everyone was lucky enough to get the Labor Day holiday off of work. That's why a local restaurant is trying to make at least a small group of them feel that it's worth it.

At LFR Station 12 on Lincoln's Southeast side, Labor Day holidays don't exist.

"You get used to it, working the holidays," said Firefighter Jordan Petersen. "It's something you realize when you go into the career field that emergencies don't take a day off so your family makes more sacrifices that I do."

But on this Labor Day, the three on-duty firefighters are greeted with several platters from Olive Garden.

"We selected the fire department here at 84th Street, fire department 12, just to thank them and feed them and show our appreciation for their service," said Jared Beckmann, General Manager of the restaurant on O Street.

"It's nice to be appreciated, it makes you feel really good when people notice the job you're doing and take time to tell you that," added Petersen.

Olive Garden restaurants around the nation have been doing this for 11 years. The idea started after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

"We have an Olive Garden there where we opened up the doors for volunteers and just recognized the need to recognize the people that are there at a moment's notice in any kind of emergency and it was very well received then and very rewarding for us so as a company now, there's 800 Olive Gardens, this is the one day a year that we all do it," said Beckmann.

Every year, Beckmann's restaurant selects a different group, whether it be firefighters, police or even an emergency room. But no matter where the food goes, the appreciation is much the same.

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