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ROSWELL, Ga. - They have served our community as police, firefighters, paramedics and 911 dispatchers and Thursday the Roswell community showed its appreciation for first responders by sending them on a special trip.
"It's so important right now that we lift up those who put their lives on the line for each one of us and I'm so proud to be a part of the very first inaugural Patriot Flight," said State Senator John Albers, R- Roswell, who helped organize the trip.
The event was modeled after the Honor Flight program, which transports veterans to Washington D.C. to see the World War II memorial and other memorials dedicated in their honor. Patriot Flight takes participants to New York to see the 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center.
"We believe we've done actually the very first one and we're very excited about that," explained Albers. "Our goal is not to have it just in Roswell, but to have this go across the state of Georgia and the entire country and especially at a time when we need to boost up our first responders that we show them how much the community cares for them and have this opportunity to celebrate their service."
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The group included about 60 first responders from Roswell and Alpharetta as well as a few from other parts of the country with a Roswell connection, explained Albers. Roswell Rotary raised about $32,000 and working with companies along the way, Albers said the trip only cost about $400 to $450 per person.
WATCH: First responders' inaugural Patriot Flight
"Delta has been a wonderful partner in helping us make this happen as well as the TSA, all the folks in New York--the NYPD, the fire department in New York, the Port Authority Police, the 9/11 Memorial--everybody came together because they were so excited not just to do this for us today, but to know that we're gonna create a legacy and do this across the country and for years and decades to come," Albers said.
For more information on Patriot Flight and how to get one started in your community, visit thepatriotflight.com.
App users: Click here to watch their return