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Alabaster residents welcome local police officers by clapping and cheering as they enter Buck Creek Pizza and Wings for a special dinner in their honor. (For the Reporter/Dawn Harrison)

ALABASTER – Members of the Alabaster community gathered outside of Buck Creek Pizza and Wings to cheer on local law enforcement officers as they entered the building on the evening of Thursday, June 22.

Organizer Dana Bedsole said Buck Creek Pizza and Wings was closed to everyone but police officers and their families, who were treated to a free meal and live music. A total of 41 giveaways were donated for police officers.

Bedsole said she was inspired to start this event last year from another city, and it has become a local tradition ever since.

“I know what it’s like to live the police life,” Bedsole said. “This develops an incredible strong sense of community.”

Bedsole, who is married to an officer at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, said the purpose of the event was to allow the community to show their appreciation for the hard work police do every day.

“These officers watch and protect us 24/7. For two hours out of the year, we’re standing outside and watching them,” Bedsole said.

Alabama Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said he was proud to come out and support local law enforcement, because he is grateful for all of the sacrifices police officers make in the line of duty.

“These people risk their lives every time they go to work,” Ward said.

Ward said he is also proud of the citizens in Alabaster for making a special effort to recognize police officers.

“The fact that so many volunteers do this every year speaks volumes about our community,” Ward said.

Shelby County Chief Magistrate Sharon Cooper said she was willing to use “any excuse to support our men and women in blue.”

“I know how hard [the police] work and how much they sacrifice,” Cooper said. “I don’t think many people know how to give back to the community, so this gives us a good window of opportunity to do that.”

For Alabaster Police Department Sergeant John Plumb, the dinner served as an indicator of how much the community cares about him, his fellow officers and their families. While Plumb and other officers may sometimes feel underappreciated or disliked because of their profession, he said he felt grateful for all of the love from the community.

“This is always such a great event. It’s so nice to see the community out supporting us,” Plumb said. “It feels great that so many people are here. We don’t always feel a lot of community support, so this makes us feel very appreciated.”

Bedsole said the dinner would not have been possible without the donations and moral support of local businesses and community members.

“This is a culmination of many Alabaster businesses and citizens,” Bedsole said.

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