Duluth breakfast honors first responders, draws largest turnout yet

The 4th Annual Protectors Appreciation Day at the Inn on Lake Superior drew its largest turnout yet and put Duluth’s police and fire departments at the center of a downtown breakfast built around public thanks. The gathering brought together members of the Duluth Police Department and Duluth Fire Department, along with Police Chief Mike Ceynowa, Fire Chief Shawn Krizaj and Mayor Roger Reinert.

The breakfast was held Wednesday, June 3, and the hotel provided food and drinks for attendees who could stay and eat or take meals to go. The setup turned the event into more than a ceremonial stop-in. It became a visible civic gathering in Downtown Duluth, with first responders, city officials and local businesses sharing the same room.

That community backing extended beyond the hotel itself. The Inn on Lake Superior said the event was a collaboration with Black Woods Grill & Bar, Johnson Bakery, Super One Foods and Bernick’s, a mix that underscored how many local businesses were willing to lend support. In the hotel’s own recap, the Duluth Police and Fire “Protectors” were described as feeling the outpouring of support, with the event framed as a sign of unity and appreciation across the city.

The breakfast also fits into a newer local tradition. Coverage from June 2024 described the event as the second annual Protector Appreciation Day, showing that what began as a one-off gesture has quickly become a recurring date on Duluth’s civic calendar. This year’s larger crowd suggests the tradition is broadening, not shrinking, as more residents and institutions attach themselves to it.

Reinert’s presence carried its own weight. He took office in January 2024 as Duluth’s 40th mayor, and in a city statement this year he said gun violence is unacceptable and that public safety cannot be outsourced to police, fire and other safety professionals. The breakfast did not solve the daily demands placed on those agencies, but it did make clear that the city’s emergency workers now have a public-facing platform of support, and that support is growing.