August 30, 2026 3:05 a.m. 

H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant Charles Lockridge will hold a First Responder Appreciation event on Saturday, September 19th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the large pavilion at Stewart Park in Roseburg.

This is a H.O.P.E. Drug Court graduation community project.

The free event is designed to give children and families an opportunity to meet local first responders in a welcoming, positive environment. Attendees will be able to meet representatives from different agencies, view emergency and response vehicles, learn about programs and services available throughout the community, and enjoy fun activities for children inside the pavilion.

Drug Court participant Charles Lockridge said, “As a child, I experienced a lot of trauma seeing my mother taken away in an ambulance.” Lockridge said, “This event is to give kids an opportunity to meet the people who provide help and assistance, learn what they do, and hopefully not be afraid when help is called.”

Lockridge said first responders are often introduced to children during some of the most frightening or uncertain moments of their lives. The First Responder Appreciation Event provides an opportunity to change that first interaction by allowing children to meet responders when there is no emergency, ask questions, explore vehicles and equipment, and learn that the people arriving during a crisis are there to help.

For additional information about the H.O.P.E. Drug Court Program, visit www.douglascountyor.gov/851/HOPE-Drug-Court