Celebrating our First Responders
by Milinda Atallian
Merriam-Webster defines first responder as a “person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance.”
We all know that when we find ourselves in trouble or in need of help, we call 911 and help arrives. Whether it’s a fire truck, ambulance, police cruiser, SWAT Lenco, aviation unit, canine unit, or sometimes all the above, we make the call, and first responders are dispatched. Without hesitation, women and men are sent to the scene to render aid.
Can you imagine a world where we did not have the luxury of knowing that when we call 911, first responders show up? Can you remember the last time you said “thank you” to a first responder? Not just because they have shown up when you’ve called for help but because the world is safer due to their choice to become public servants and assist people when needed.
To thank our local first responders and facilitate informative interactions between them and the communities they serve, the HAC inaugurated our annual Family First Responder Event this past fall. We invited police, fire, aviation, and medic units from around our immediate area to come and showcase their vehicles and service animals and talk to the public in a non-emergency setting. Over 100 attendees gladly took the chance to meet the officers, thank them for all they do on a daily basis for our community, and learn the extent of their respective roles.
We opened the event up to the public, our members, and the families of the first responders. Local vendors brought tables to set up giveaways for those who walked the grounds as they talked to different departments and officers. A bounce house was full of kids expending energy in our gym, and Sweet Josephine’s Desert Truck was on-site selling sweet treats to those passing through.
Hockessin Fire Company and Medic Unit, State Police, and New Castle County Police were all on-site with various apparatus to showcase the fantastic things that they do for the public. Guests enjoyed seeing an iconic red ladder truck, the NCCPD’s impressive SWAT Lenco and Mounted Patrol, and a shiny motorcade from the State Police up close and personal. Vehicles were displayed, uniforms were shining, and the canine unit stood steadfast as the crowd strolled around the campus. It was a wonderful opportunity for the public to connect with our local public servants when they didn’t “need” them to be there. And at its core, the event showed us that first responders are people like everyone else. Except they aren’t.
First responders choose to provide safety for all. They choose to serve. And they are not often thanked for the sacrifices that they, as well as their families, make. From long hours, shift work, and countless weekends and holidays spent on duty to the concern of family members for their loved one’s safety. From being forced to endure the rain, snow, and heat to the frequent overtime hours, long periods of standing, days, nights, and meals lost, etc. The list goes on and on. We were so happy to have been able to provide a day of thanks to the officers who came to the event.
Our second Family First Responder Event will run in the summer. With each year, we hope that more families will have the opportunity to join, explore, ask questions, and show their gratitude for our community’s too-often unsung heroes.
A Legacy of Giving
By Lisa Maguire and Sasha Reddy
As a business and a community within ourselves, we’ve always believed that giving back to the community that so generously supports us is a critical part of our mission. The inaugural Family First Responder Event is just the latest example of HAC’s mission to enrich the lives of those around us. Since the club’s inception in 2007, we have proudly raised over $1 million for various non-profit organizations, enabling the work of over a dozen local and national charities.
Here’s a quick glimpse at the last 15 years of events and campaigns your support has made possible.
Early Efforts
Our first campaign in 2009, the Commemorative Walkway campaign, brought in over $25,000 for the Hockessin Fire Company, Hockessin Historical Society, and Greater Hockessin Area Development Association. It was soon followed by our proud run in the Delaware Bike to the Bay from 2009-2015, during which we raised more than $233,000 for the MS Society. That was then succeeded by our Ride for a Reason cycling event in 2016 and 2017, which raised $21,000 for Attack Addiction and the Mike Clark Legacy Foundation. Through physical feats, we watched so many people celebrate their success, form new friendships, and nurture existing ones, all the while supporting important local causes.
Camp Social
We added our Camp Social in 2010, which has raised roughly $85,000 for Special Olympics Delaware and the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens (DFRC). This event has helped campers to understand the importance of supporting inclusion, diversity, and the community.
HAC Salutes
HAC Salutes joined the ranks in 2013, raising $7,500 for the Veteran’s Hospital in Elsmere and bringing the community together by proudly displaying flags along our drive. Between 2014 and 2020, the campaign raised over $135,000 for Operation Homefront. Seeking to bring the impact of this initiative closer to home, we began contributing all HAC Salutes donations to the Hockessin-based non-profit Beds4Vets in 2021, raising an additional $85,000 in the years since. Our members and community have shared thousands of heartwarming messages about their loved ones and their love for their country on the flags, and the display of those flags has become a highly-anticipated annual tribute.
Frozen Frogman
The first Frozen Frogman would launch in January 2016 to benefit the Navy Seal Foundation with a donation of $9,000. Through the event, we would get to know gold star parent John Mosko, who connected us with the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF). TMF would be the beneficiary of our subsequent events, which have raised over $209,000 in the years since. We hope to invite both new and returning swimmers to enjoy our 9th Frozen Frogman this February.
Chip in for a Cure
Following HAC Salutes, we introduced Chip in for a Cure, a golf outing for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Delaware, in 2015. The event was held at Hartefeld Golf Club, and in our five years of hosting the outing, we raised $96,000 for the cause.
Holidazzle
Our first time hosting the DFRC Holidazzle was in 2016 as well. This gala-style social event raised over $192,000 in the four years it was held here on our pool deck.
Fundraising Post-Covid
In the interest of safety, many of our most significant fundraising efforts were canceled during the pandemic. As sickness slowly subsided and we returned to gathering in large groups, our team began planning community efforts with new-found vigor, experimenting with different kinds of fundraisers with new benefactors. This new era of events started with our Halloween Spooktacular in 2023, which would evolve into the Family First Responder event. These events have raised nearly $2,000 for Community Social Saturday, Hockessin Fire Company, and the New Castle County and State Police. We also hosted our first Strongman Demonstration with support from HAC personal trainer and Strongman competitor Eric Neil, raising another $1,000 for Community Social Saturday and the Hockessin Fire Company.
To those who have generously contributed to or participated in any of these campaigns over the years, we thank you. No amount, large or small, has been overlooked. We’re grateful to reside in a community equally dedicated to giving back, and we hope to see you at one of our upcoming events soon!
