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Members of several different Hawkins County law enforcement agencies gathered to break bread together Thursday.

Cherokee High School continued its longstanding tradition of honoring deputies, police officers and first responders with its annual Officer and First Responder Breakfast in the CHS Library.

“This is one of our most important mornings,” Hawkins County Director of Schools Matt Hixson said. “We don’t have enough opportunity to say thanks to our law enforcement and first responders for what they do for us, not only the school system, but the community as well.”

Beyond all the important things they do, they help to hold people accountable and provide for safety, the law enforcement build important relationships with the children and staff at the schools

“That’s very critical when you’re faced with important situations,” Hixson said. “It also reinforces the notion that we need to have respect for law enforcement, whether you’re a student or community member.”

An example of a student’s cell phone dying at a basketball game Tuesday night was a great example of how deputies or officers may be beneficial. The student came to the deputy working the basketball game saying that he needed to call his parents to come pick him up. The deputy called the student’s parents and the student was picked up not long after the deputy made the call.

“That’s a small example of what they do,” Hixson said. “He felt comfortable enough to go to him.”

Law enforcement departments represented included the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office and Rogersville Police Department. First responders with the Persia Volunteer Fire Department also came.

The breakfast spread included biscuits and gravy, along with tenderloin, sausage, ham and bacon from Big H BBQ in Rogersville. Other foods and desserts were made available by Food City, Bojangle’s and Bakery Delights in Rogersville. All of the food was donated at no cost.

Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson was honored, albeit in a different way. Thursday was Lawson’s birthday and he was treated to a chorus of “Happy Birthday” from the crowd.

Cherokee Principal David Kenner also looks forward to honoring the first responders and officers each year.

“I absolutely love it, I do,” Kenner said. “The opportunity to say ‘Thank you’ seems so small. At the same time, it’s a large event. Susie Hilton, school secretary, does a great job of getting it all coordinated, getting everybody here, just so we can say thank you. On top of that it’s a time for us to shake hands and socialize a little bit because we just never have that amount of time.”

While most professions consist of eight-hour days, Kenner said that these first responders and officers put their lives on the line 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

“They’re on call and I think we forget that because they’re not working right in front of us,” Kenner said. “They’re working behind the scenes in keeping us safe, protected and taking care of us. That give me an ability to lay my head down at night and know that I’m safe.

“They take care of us in every imaginable way,” Kenner said.