Cash Express presented a cake to Harlan City Police Chief Mike Thomas to honor the county’s first responders on Tuesday on the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and The Pentagon.

The History.com website at https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks states “on Sept. 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defined the presidency of George W. Bush.”

Cash Express has been making such a presentation on the 9/11 anniversary for several years to show Harlan County first responders their appreciation.

“We don’t do this for thanks or appreciation, but it’s nice to have a day where someone gives a little something back and appreciates what we do,” Thomas said.

According to Cash Express CEO Gary McNabb, the day is a time for reflection.

“The 17th anniversary of the attack on America and New York’s World Trade Center is one of reflection,” McNabb said. “There is truly nothing to celebrate in the extraordinary tragedy of 9/11.”

McNabb stated the images from that day will always remain with him.

“There is one memory I want to hold on to,” McNabb said. “It is the memory of the heroism and selflessness demonstrated by law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who went about their business that day without concern for their own safety and without consideration for the magnitude of what they were confronting.”

He added most people have always had an appreciation for first responders.

“At one time or another, what little boy or little girl didn’t want to grow up to be a police officer or a firefighter?” said McNabb. “As time passes and most of us go on to do other things with our lives, we tend not only to out-grow our hero worship, but also to start taking things for granted. Then, some tragedy happens and our attention is drawn to them again. I’m not sure where the tradition of delivering a desert to first responders on the anniversary of 9/11 started in our company, but I’m glad it did. It started out of someone’s caring and appreciative heart and spread from employee to employee and location to location until stores all over Kentucky and Tennessee were involved.”

McNabb encourages others to become involved in showing appreciation to first responders.

“Using the 9/11 anniversary as an opportunity to refresh and rekindle our feelings for first responders is a good thing,” McNabb said. “It’s a simple but meaningful way to say ‘Thank you, first responders. We salute you.’”