Crime & Safety
A Free Lunch for Tolland's First Responders
Manchester's Olive Garden provided lunch at the Fire Training Center on Oct. 14 to show appreciation for the town's first responders.
Tolland's emergency personnel and public works employees who gave so much during Tropical Storm Irene and on every other day of the year were honored with a free lunch on Friday, Oct. 14, provided by Manchester's Olive Garden restaurant.
Tolland was chosen for this honor, coincidentally enough, because the department came to the aid of Olive Garden culinary manager Brenda Wallace when mulch in the back of her truck ignited as she was traveling through Tolland on her way to work.
"They took really good care of me," Wallace said of Tolland's quick response to her emergency, explaining that their service put Tolland at the top of the list when the restaurant was deciding who to honor during the annual Labor Day Hospitaliano.
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The assembled group of emergency personnel, public works employees and their families lined up to enjoy the lasagna, salad, breadsticks and desserts that Olive Garden provided.
"This was the logical choice for us," Wallace said. "It's all about community."
