FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — Criminals don't take a break.
Emergencies never stop.
So First Responders always have to work.
Ashley McDowell knows that all too well. She's married to a Forsyth County deputy.
"The first responder life is long hours, usually they're gone about 14 hours out of the day," McDowell said.
She spent mere minutes with her husband last Christmas as newlyweds.
"Last year we got married on December 22nd, and he had to work Christmas day," McDowell explained. "Our very first Christmas being married was me meeting him, and sitting in the {patrol} car giving him a piece of cake saying 'Merry Christmas!'"
McDowell said first responders deserve more than five minutes with loved ones, and more than a single piece of cake. Even if they are working. So she had the bright idea to organize a feast.
"We are hosting the first annual Feast for First Responders put on by the help of the Clemmons Community Foundation," she stated. "We’re feeding all on-duty first responders on this side of the county: Clemmons, Lewisville, and Vienna."
McDowell said about 75 first responders were served at the event. Those who couldn't leave the office, like dispatchers, had hot meals delivered to them.
"Today I wanted it to look and feel like home," McDowell said. "Most of the time, their table is their patrol car, the steering wheel is their plate so at least today they are able to sit down have a good meal and be surrounded by members of the community."
Sergeant Trey Gaylor with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said the lunch meant the world to him. He says he's been in law enforcement for more than two decades, and often works holidays.
"Yes, we would like to be home with our families but we signed up for a job we knew this was going to be a possibility that we'd have to work holidays."
Sergeant Gaylor's wife is also a deputy, but his family always finds a way to make holidays work.
"We still have a Christmas, we still have Thanksgiving, it might not be on the exact date but we still get it done."
McDowell hopes to hold this 'Feast for First Responders' for years to come.
This year, her husband was surprisingly not working Christmas, but next year could very well be a different story.
"This year we’re not sitting behind the steering wheel saying 'hey' to each other for five minutes, but that could happen at any time," she explained. "Y’all might have seen four deputies had to leave to go to a call {during the feast} so that is the reality every year, even if we’re doing this they could get called away any moment."
WFMY News 2 extends a very warm thank you to all the first responders working this holiday season, and every day.