The Northwest Alabamian and the Journal Record are joining forces to honor some of Winston and Marion counties’ greatest heroes.
“Honoring Our First Responders” will hit newsstands on Wednesday, Sept. 27, in both counties as a special section within each county’s newspaper. The section will include group photographs and names for the men and women who work in law enforcement, as firefighters, paramedics/EMTs and dispatchers throughout both counties. This will be a first-of-its-kind section for the Alabamian, and the first time the Journal Record has put out a special section like this in many years.
“We are so excited to be able to honor our first responders in this manner,” Alabamian Managing Editor Shelly Hess said. “We can never thank all of our first responders enough for the incredible jobs they perform day after day. We are blessed to have some of the most dedicated first responders working within our two counties.
“Too often, they are not given the credit they deserve for all they do for all of us. They put their lives on the line for us daily without flinching, running toward dangers of all kinds and witnessing and responding to some of the darkest and most painful times in people’s lives. They miss time and memory-making moments with their families due to their work, and they do it for us. Not every one can be a first responder, but everyone certainly can thank them for their sacrifice and their service,” Hess said.
“Both of these newspapers have a long history of sharing information,” Journal Record General Manager P.J. Gossett said. “We look forward to spotlighting these local heroes in both counties. It can be difficult to understand what these men and women go through, and understanding comes when it is you or your family they are responding to. By doing this section, we can personally say ‘thank you’ to all the first responders.”
Running the section jointly in both the Alabamian and the Journal Record is a natural fit, Hess believes.
“First responders are a family, regardless of where they live. The first responders in Marion and Winston counties work together all the time to save lives, so it is only natural to honor them together,” Hess said.
Businesses, churches and non-profit organizations are encouraged to use this opportunity to take a moment and thank our first responders through advertising in this keepsake edition. Also, family members and friends of first responders are welcome to take out ads letting the first responders in their lives know how much they love them and that they are proud of them. Ads can be purchased by calling Alabamian Advertising Manager Christy Aderholt at 205-486-9461 or JR’s Advertising Manager Kristen Raines at 205-921-3104. Aderholt can also be reached by email at ads@mynwapaper.com, and Raines can be reached at legals@myjrpaper.com.
The deadline to place an ad will be Wednesday, Sept. 13.
See complete story in the Journal Record.
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