The year after 9/11 employees from all 500 Cash Express stores started taking cake to police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service workers. That tradition continued on Thursday when Mike Sparks from Cash Express in Russell, Ky., made the rounds to first responders in Ironton.

“We have done this every year since 2002,” Sparks said. “It is a company-wide effort and all our stores do this. We think it is the least we can do for these brave people who help us and keep us safe.”

At 10 a.m. on Thursday Sparks was at the Ironton Police Department delivering an American flag-colored cake to officers; he had already done the same at the Ironton Fire Department.

“Just for the area we deliver to we bought $600 worth of cakes,” Sparks said.

Aside from Ironton, first responders in Russell, Flatwoods, Wurtland, Raceland and Westwood, Ky., also got cake, as did the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

“This shows how everyone appreciates what first responders do,” Rich Blankenship, Ironton mayor, said. “They are a great asset and we are lucky to have them. They are the ones out there protecting us.”

Sgt. Jamie Pruitt expressed gratitude on behalf of the department.

“We greatly appreciate the gesture,” he said. “It’s a really nice thing to do.”