Donation honors Charles City police and fire departments

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Sept. 11 has a deep and personal connection with Jose Figueroa. The Charles City resident lived in New York then, and lost friends in the terrorist attacks that occurred more than 18 years ago.

So when the 9/11 anniversary came around again this year, he wondered what he could do to honor and thank the first responders in this community.

Shelly Tilton, who owns Bread of Life Market in Charles City, said Figueroa got together with Allie Novak, both of them employees at the grocery store, and they talked over possibilities.

Tilton said Novak came to her with the idea of doing a silent auction at the store “to let the local fire department and police department know that we know they do a hard job and we appreciate them.”

Novak began calling businesses looking for donations for the auction, and they told people about it on Facebook. In the end, 29 businesses and individuals donated items for the silent auction.

The event raised $636, which was split among the two departments as $318 each.

“This is just a thank-you,” Tilton said. “We want you to do something for your staff that maybe’s not something you normally budget for, or something you need.”

Tilton is also a nurse, and said she works with firefighters frequently, and her husband, Randy Tilton, the assistant county attorney for Floyd County, works frequently with law enforcement. They also have a daughter who is going into law enforcement.

“We just want to thank you so much,” Shelly Tilton said. “You guys put your life on the line all the time. People do not understand and recognize how much of a hard job you have.”