Lehi Sports
TONIGHT: First responders to be honored at rivalry game
Megan Wallgren | Lehi Free Press
First responders are getting the VIP treatment at the Lehi vs. Skyridge football game on Sept. 26. First responders will be recognized during the game. Police and fire vehicles will be on display before the game, and community police and fire personnel will have a chance to mingle with game attendees.
Maren Westover, an organizer of the annual event, said several first responders from a number of different cities and departments who are family members of cheer, drill and football student athletes will be brought out onto the field and honored individually during the game. The honorees and their families will also be treated to dinner before the game, provided a gift basket and get free admission to the game. In addition, any first responders in the stands will be asked to stand for recognition.
“We have a lot of respect for first responders in our community. We know how much they work and sacrifice, and we want to make sure they get a positive spotlight, especially those who have ties to our high schools and those who have family and kids that attend there,” said Westover.
Mike Stevens, a Lehi firefighter, is a first responder being honored at the game. His son, Crew, is a sophomore on the Skyridge football team and his daughter, Quincee, is a senior at the school.
“Being recognized at the game is truly an honor, but I see it as a reflection of the whole team’s efforts rather than just my own,” he said. “We do what we do to serve the community, and this kind of appreciation reminds us how important our work is to the people we serve.”
Westover said those receiving individual honors are nominated by students who will be playing in or performing at the game. Having a husband who served with the police department for eight years, Westover knows how hard the job is and how much the recognition will mean to them.
“Some of them don’t want the attention, but I think they deserve it. The world’s gotten crazier and the job is hard, and I think they just deserve a little light shone on them,” she said.
“Community support is incredibly important for first responders,” Stevens shared. “It strengthens the connection between us and the people we serve, and that mutual trust allows us to do our jobs more effectively. Knowing the community has our back gives us the motivation and resources to keep doing what we do.”
