Seventeen years ago one funeral home in Gerogia started a picnic to show appreciation for the work that Gainesville's Police and Firefighters do. Today, seventeen years later that picnic draws thousands growing in popularity, despite the fact that is it offered by a funeral home.

Normally people avoid speaking about death and keep distance from anything related to death and dying, including funeral homes. Yet, today Memorial Park Funeral Home in Gainsville, GA distributed 6,000 plates of barbecue pork, hamburgers and hot dogs growing its Police and Firefighter appreciation picnic to a popular community event.

"It's our way of giving back," said Billy Hendrix to Gainsville Times. Hendrix is the spokesman for the Memorial Park Funeral Home in Gainsville, GA. "Our officers and firefighters give so much more and get paid so little. This is just a small token.

The funeral home had set up covered tents around the property off Memorial Park Drive.

Thousands of people came and filled their plates with barbecue and hotdogs. For many of them, how grandmothers and grandfathers have been buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, this picnic has become a long time family tradition.

Hall County Fire Chief David Kimbrell and Sheriff Steve Cronic thanked the people and said this their service is a "wonderful opportunity for public safety."

Written by Armen Hareyan