Video summary
The annual Cuffs & Hoses Block Party took place downtown Pikeville on Saturday the 19th, bringing together police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, and city employees to raise funds for their upcoming Christmas with a First Responder event. Organized by Pikeville City Police Public Information Officer Tyson Lockridge, the gathering served as a vital opportunity for the community to unite in support of local first responders. The event featured a 5K and 10K race that has already attracted 150 registered participants, alongside numerous community vendors who set up booths to sell their products. All proceeds from these activities are directed toward purchasing Christmas gifts for children throughout the Pike County region, ensuring that families in need receive support during the holiday season.
Beyond the fundraising aspect, the event highlights a strong sense of community involvement and volunteerism that makes its success possible. Students from KYCOM and the medical school at U Pike dedicated their time to assist with setup and managed various booths throughout the day, demonstrating how diverse groups contribute both financially and through their labor. Tyson Lockridge emphasized that the event could not proceed without these donations of time and money, expressing deep gratitude for the collective effort. This collaborative spirit extends to new members of the fire department, such as first-year firefighter EMT Connor Bronhaver, who attended his inaugural Cops and Cones event with enthusiasm and a desire to see how the tradition continues to grow each year.
For new participants like Connor Bronhaver, the event represents more than just a fundraiser; it is a tangible expression of their commitment to serving the people rather than simply fighting fires. Connor explained that joining the fire department was about connecting with the community, teaching fire prevention, and ensuring safety for residents. He views the fire service as customer service where officers and firefighters engage with the public not only during emergencies but also through fun activities and educational outreach. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the goal of the Christmas with a First Responder program, which aims to bring joy to children by providing them with gifts when Christmas arrives.
Ultimately, the Cuffs & Hoses Block Party stands as a testament to the dedication of Pikeville's first responders and the generosity of its citizens. By combining a festive atmosphere with a meaningful cause, the event successfully bridges the gap between emergency services and the general public, fostering relationships built on trust and mutual support. As new people continue to show up each year, including fresh faces in the fire department, the tradition ensures that the community remains united in its mission to care for one another. Through races, vendor markets, and shared celebrations, Pikeville reinforces its values of service, safety, and compassion, setting a positive tone for the holidays ahead.
Read the full video transcript
On Saturday, the 19th, of this year's
Cuffs and Hoses event was held in
downtown Pikeville with police and
firefighters hosting this event to raise
money for their Christmas with a first
responder event coming up. People from
all around came out to participate. Here
we have Pikeville City Police Public
Information Officer Tyson Lockridge to
tell us more.
>> This is our Cuffs and Hoses block party
and what this is is a time for the
community to come together and um we
have a 5K 10K race, all of the community
vendors, we've got a ton of people out
here
um so that way they can have some
involvement as well. But what this is is
it's an event that goes towards
Christmas with the first responder that
um at the end of the year our officers
along with the fire department and also
our dispatchers and even some of the
city employees, they will come together
and purchase Christmas gifts for kids um
throughout the Pike County region. We've
already got 150 people registered to
race. Obviously, all of those funds will
go directly into that program to give
back to the kids. So, I want people to
know how thankful we truly are for the
funds that are given and the time that
is donated. Um we have students from
KYCOM, the medical school here at U
Pike, they come out and donate their
time to help set up. They run some of
the different booths and things
throughout the event. Um so, we have a
ton of community members that are that
are coming out and donating not only
financially, but also their time and we
are so thankful because this event could
not go along without them. So, we want
to make sure that they're
um thanked appropriately and we we truly
could not do it without them.
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>> The event is held every year and new
people come out each time, even some of
our new firefighters. Here we have
Connor Bronhaver, first-year firefighter
EMT with the Pikeville Fire Department
to tell us about his first-year
thoughts.
>> Yeah, so this is my first uh Cops and
Cones event. Um
and I look forward to the future. I
heard that it's grown um since years
past and so I look forward to to seeing
how that'll go and and I'm I'm pretty
passionate about teaching fire
prevention and kind of you know, showing
kids our fire trucks and our tools and
kind of what we do in our job. I look
forward to getting in the schools to do
that, too. But for me, you know, joining
the fire department, I didn't join it
just to fight fire.
Um
I came for for people, to serve people.
And uh this is this is one way that we
do that. Uh this uh fire service is
customer service. And we're here for for
people, to serve people and help them
with, you know, not only emergencies,
but also just connect with them, have
fun with them, teach them fire
prevention and and and safety, even. So,
really passionate about, you know, the
Christmas with the first responder so
that we can help kids uh
you know, get gifts and stuff for when
Christmas comes around. So, I think it
means a lot to to me and to the you
know, fire department, police
department, and dispatch, city of
Pikeville to be able to do that for our
community. Uh come out here, have fun,
and provide a opportunity for vendors to
be able to sell their product and just
have a good time together.
>> Reporting for Mountain Top News, I'm
Connor Kidd.