First Responders Celebration
The First Responders Celebration serves as the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club’s flagship fundraiser and recognize local police, fire and paramedics. Photo by Stasi Bara.
What do you get when you combine a shrimp boil, skydivers, live music and police and fire equipment on display?
The answer is a family-friendly event that brings the community together, recognizes local heroes and raises funds to support a worthy cause. The First Responders Celebration serves as the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club’s flagship fundraiser and recognizes Vestavia Hills’ police, fire and paramedics.
The event has been going on for several years, but this year the club decided to do things a little differently.
“It was formerly known as the First Responders Picnic, but this year we are really trying to grow it by opening it up to the public,” said Sunrise Rotary Club member Troy Hendrixson.
Tickets for the First Responders Celebration are $10 in advance or $15 the day of the event, which will be held at Mountaintop Community Church on Saturday, April 25. The celebration will raise funds for a new, fully equipped all-terrain vehicle to be donated to the fire and police departments. Funds will also support Vestavia High Hills High’s nationally acclaimed “We the People” competition team and their study of the U.S. Constitution.
Guests won’t leave hungry. There will be a Lowcountry shrimp boil with corn on the cob, potatoes and hush puppies in addition to child-friendly food. Games include a clown, inflatables, slide, basketball, cornhole and a game truck. Vestavia’s newest police and fire vehicles will be on display. Two skydivers will land in the church parking lot, and live music will be provided by The Castors. Raffle items will also be available.
“This is our signature event,” said Hendrixson. “The police and fire department and the city have been wonderful to us in getting this together. Mountaintop Church has been a great partner as well.”
The Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club, which has more than 30 members, meets Thursday mornings at the Vestavia Library in the Forest except the third Thursday of the month. The club participates in a number of service projects throughout the year, including maintaining the city’s southern gateway. Rotary International is an association of more than 33,000 clubs worldwide.
For more about the Sunrise Rotary Club or to purchase tickets for the First Responders Celebration, visit vestaviasunriserotary.com.
Vestavia First Responders Celebration
- Sponsored by the Vestavia Sunrise Rotary
- Mountaintop Community Church
- Saturday, April 25, 3-6 p.m.
- Tickets, $10 in advance, $15, day of event. 6 and under, free.
- Dinner, games, skydivers, live music and police and fire equipment on display.
- vestaviasunriserotary.com
