FRANKLIN
Residents in Western Tidewater can help pay tribute to the local police, firefighters and EMT personnel who do so much for the community. On Thursday, Oct. 25, the 14 Dairy Queen restaurants in the area will honor these tribute to police, firefighters and EMT personnel with its First Responders Day.

Mitch Sandlin, the CEO of Mid-Atlantic Dairy Queen, said, “We will be giving every first responder (police, fire, rescue, sheriff’s office) in uniform a free chili cheese dog and small Blizzard that day.”

He added that 20 percent of all sales from each store that will be donated to first responders. Further, donation buckets will also be available that day for customers to contribute.

There’s more.

Effective this week beginning on Monday, Oct. 22, Sandlin said, DQ “will be giving those same people 50 percent off their meals and a free drink for all days moving forward when they are in uniform. We already do this for police, but will [also] begin extending this to fire and rescue as well.”

That latter offer will continue until the foreseeable future.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do,” he said. “First responders are some of the most underpaid and most-needed people in society. We just think they don’t get the recognition they deserve.”

Sandlin added that he had been thinking about doing this for them about a month, then it all came together.