Garner breakfast honors first responders, raises $15,600 for support groups

More than 200 people filled the Grand Marquise Ballroom in Garner as the ninth annual Garner Local Heroes Breakfast recognized first responders from across Wake County and raised $15,600 for local support organizations. The Wednesday morning gathering brought together firefighters, deputies, dispatchers, troopers and EMS crews under one roof, with 55 local sponsors helping fund the event.

The 2026 honorees came from six agencies that residents across Garner and southern Wake County rely on every day: Garner Fire and Rescue, Garner Police Department, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Wake 911 Communications, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and Wake County Emergency Medical Services. Among those recognized were Firefighter Zack Georgopoulos, Officer Jacob Gadwell, Trooper Jakhari A. Shaw, Senior Investigator Tina Byrd and EMS’s Ashley Auman.

Wake 911 Communications staff members Briana James, Mike Suzik, Piper Porterfield, Samantha Cole, Julie McDow, Madeline Campbell and Adam Jacobs were also honored, a reminder that emergency response starts long before a fire truck, patrol car or ambulance arrives. Dispatchers and call-takers often serve as the first voice a resident hears in a crisis, coordinating responses across multiple agencies and keeping the system moving.

Event organizers said the breakfast is meant to do more than hand out awards. Garner Local Heroes, founded in 2017, says its mission is to support first responders and their families by celebrating excellence, providing monetary support and building community. Jenny Gorman, who chaired the event committee, framed the breakfast as a chance for the community to thank responders for their commitment to public safety. The committee itself was recognized for months of preparation.

This year’s charitable donations were split evenly, with $5,200 each going to The 200 Club of Wake County, Garner PAAL and the Garner Firefighters Association. Garner Local Heroes says it has now recognized more than 40 service professionals since it began, and the organization has turned the annual breakfast into its flagship event.

The ceremony also came as Garner Fire-Rescue continues to serve a wider area after its consolidation with the Town of Garner last year, covering the town and an unincorporated portion of southern Wake County. With the event’s tenth anniversary already set for May 5, 2027, Garner Local Heroes has become a steady civic marker for the people who answer Wake County’s emergencies day after day.