MINOT, ND (KXNET) — For the third year in a row, Minot’s Ryan Honda has hosted their annual First Responders and Friends picnic event — where the community can come together to show their appreciation for those who help keep the Magic City safe and healthy.

At the event on Saturday, May 18, attendees were able to celebrate these workers through a series of live demonstrations (including fire drills and K-9 showcases), as well as by viewing a large selection of emergency vehicles on display. The picnic also included free coffee and donuts, as well as a donut-eating contest, for any attending first responders. The celebration also featured the return of the ‘Mugs and Hugs’ program held in Ryan Honda’s service drive, where over 100 local children ran through the emergency preparation process alongside representatives from the city’s Fire and Police Departments, Bomb Squad, S.W.A.T Team, and other departments

In total, over 250 Minot residents and 50 first responders from in and around Minot were present at the fundraiser, resulting in a total profit of over $7,600. All money gathered from the breakfast is used to support law enforcement and first responders throughout the area. During their previous year’s event, the dealership was able to raise more than $7,500 to help support the addition of a new K9 unit to the Minot Police Department, and this year’s funds will be used to purchase extra structural gear and self-contained breathing apparatuses for Minot’s Rural Fire Department.

However, there is more to this event than just a fun time, or even a fundraiser for first responders. According to Ryan Family Dealerships Owner and Operator Kathleen Gaddie, it also serves as an excellent way to help children become more comfortable around these workers.

“So often we take for granted these brave men and women who routinely put themselves in harm’s way,” Gaddie stated in a press release. “That we can do something to make their jobs easier, to help them get home safely at the end of the day, is an enormous privilege.”

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