Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–Kiwanis will be recognizing National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (LEAD) at Moose Creek Café and Bakery on January 9 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. with an open house. Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm, deputies, staff, their families, and the public are invited to attend.

There will be an open house with coffee and donuts at Moose Creek Café and Bakery from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., recognizing LEAD, all courtesy of the Dayton Kiwanis Club.

In honor of this day, Sheriff Helm will be present, Kiwanis President Kim Lyonnais will initiate the ceremony, followed by the invocation by Gary Schroeder. Students from the Dayton Elementary School will present appreciation letters they have written to the sheriff and deputies.

To show appreciation, thin blue line awareness bracelets, lapel pins and yard signs are available to the public and can be picked up at the bakery the day of the event. Thin blue line ribbons to display on car antennas or mailboxes were donated by Paige's Floral and are available to pick up during regular business hours. Businesses and residences are invited to display blue lights to show their support.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day–LEAD–was created by multiple organizations in 2015 to express their gratitude for officers in the United States. In support of their services citizens are encouraged to do their part in demonstrating gratitude of law enforcers on this day.

One of the main organizations to take the lead in this is C.O.P.S–Concerns of Police Survivors. According to C.O.P.S., law enforcement officers need to be shown that the difficult career path they have chosen to uphold the law, is recognized by the people they protect.