BUCHANAN, Va. (WFXR) – From collecting gifts to dressing up for pictures with Santa, Bill Price spreads holiday cheer to the next level with his nonprofit, Sirens and Salutes.
“I think there are a lot of people out here that want to do stuff like that, but they just don’t know where to start or how to do it or what to do,” said Price of his holiday activities giving back to the community.
But that’s where he can step in and lead the charge through Sirens and Salutes, which works to honor and memorialize first responders and veterans.
The organization kicks the season off with the fallen heroes tree, honoring first responders and veterans that have died in the line of duty in the past year.
“Everybody that’s on that tree, this is their family’s first Christmas without them,” said Price. “So, you think about it in those terms and there’s over 200 stars on that tree so everybody on there is missing that person and this is their first Christmas without them.”
This year, there were two trees: one in Vinton and the other at Hotel Roanoke.
Price’s service to the community also includes laying wreaths for veterans and first responders at local cemeteries and collecting gifts for veterans at Carrington Place nursing home in Botetourt County.
All of his service around the holidays started at an unlikely time and place; as Price observed the funeral of his father, who served as a police officer for 30 years.
“When we had his funeral, there were police cars lining the streets, they had the ladder trucks, the fire department ladder trucks with the flags crossed and I sat there at the funeral thinking man he would have loved to see this,” said Price. “It’s too bad we do this when people are gone and don’t do this when they’re here to see it.”
By season’s end, countless veterans will have gotten to see that display of appreciation with Christmas gifts and homemade Christmas cards.
And the whole community will have a great deal more holiday cheer.