'Cookie Brigade' fills cookie table and hearts at Hometown Hero Thank You in Harrison

It was a day filled with tears and joy Saturday as emergency responders were saluted at the Harrison Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The event was coordinated by the Cookie Brigade’s Lori Miller, who acknowledged the tears still being shed in the wake of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire’s line-of-duty death in January.

The joy is being felt by those who were happy to see Tarentum police Officer Jordan Schrecengost in attendance, looking strong and healthy. He was shot in the leg during the manhunt that took the life of McIntire.

“We have a lot to celebrate — and by that I mean Jordan,” Miller said. “We are happy that he is OK, and the tears obviously are for Chief McIntire.”

Schrecengost was given a standing ovation from the more than 150 people in attendance when he came to the podium to receive a citation from the state House of Representatives, presented by Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel.

“I’m a mom of four little babies, and you are in our prayers,” Steele said. “Thank you, Jordan, and we are forever grateful to you.”

Schrecengost did not address the crowd at the event, called a “Hometown Hero Thank You.”

Chief McIntire’s widow, Ashley, also was presented with a citation from state Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, as well as from Steele and District Judge Carolyn Bengel.

Brackenridge Mayor Lindsay Fraser thanked everyone in attendance for their support.

“I just want to say thank you so much to everybody for all of the love, the outpouring of support and compassion that you all have shown, not only to us but to each other, in the past 2 1/2 months since the tragic loss of our beloved Chief Justin McIntire,” Fraser said. “This wasn’t just our loss. This was a loss for all of us in this community.”

What began as a way to extend a simple thank-you to local volunteers — in the form of a box of Girl Scout cookies — morphed into a community party with 619 boxes of cookies from Highlands Elementary School student Vera Messaros.

Boxes were wrapped with bows in giant towers for each first responders, including police, fire and EMS crews from Harrison, Tarentum, Fawn, Brackenridge, Frazer and the Allegheny Valley Regional departments. Constables and the Highlands School District police also were recognized.

“We decided to do this for first responders because we’ve had a hard, hard year so far,” Miller said. “We were just supposed to buy a few boxes of cookies, and that turned into over $3,000 worth of cookies. It started to grow, and it snowballed. We didn’t even have a budget for this, and everybody just started donating.”

The VFW Post 894 allowed event organizers to use the hall for free.

Jodie Deiseroth of Pioneer Hose Company in Brackenridge spoke for many of those who were honored at the event.

”We’re just not used to the appreciation,” Deiseroth said. “We’re not used to recognition. We’re appreciative.”