Hometown Heroes

by McGruff the Crime Dog

Hi, Friends! It’s me, your pal, McGruff the Crime Dog!

As you know, I’m trained to help kids and grown-ups learn how to be safe and take action to prevent crime before it can happen. As a working dog, I enjoy my job and I especially like taking my message to schools and seeing my many young friends there. I also had a dog gone grr-eat time seeing so many of you at the Greenville Christmas Parade way back in December. Gosh, the way you all waved and called out my name made me feel like some kind of hero!

And that leads me to what I really want to say today. I am proud to know some real heroes right here in Hunt County! There are men and women who risk their lives everyday to help keep us safe and to help us when we are in trouble. You know who I mean: Our police officers, firefighters, and emergency responders! They are all “top dogs” in my book!

I want you to get to know my heroic friends, too. You can take advantage of DrugFree Greenville's Heroes night each year to meet our community Heroes. This will be your chance to meet many of the police officers, firefighters, Life Star crew members, American Medical Response EMS personnel and others, and begin collecting their Hero Cards.

You can also hunt down some cards at the Greenville Police Department at 3000 Lee Street, at any of our fire stations, and at American Medical Response at 3003-C Joe Ramsey Boulevard (behind McGaughey’s) or ask heroes for their cards whenever you see them.

Other cards you will want to retrieve include our ter-ruff-ic “Wild Cards.” The Greenville Police Department wild cards include the Honor Guard, Bike Patrol, and the Hummer. The Fire Department has a card featuring the Fire Combat Team and “Beat the Heat” car. There is also a card picturing some of our heroes’ awesome emergency vehicles.

Two of my closest canine friends, Liberty and Cieko the Greenville Police Department's crime-fighting dogs also have their own cards. I, myself, am honored to have my own card, too. This is a pack I am proud to be a part of!

I don’t mean to hound you, but remember that we usually unleash the fun in February!