Rep. Hugh Gibson, who had a lifelong career in public service, was honored as the keynote speaker at the annual Red, White and Blue Valor Awards barbecue.
Former Florida State Representative, Hugh Gibson, keynote speaker at the annual Sumter County Chamber of Commerce Red, White & Blue Barbecue on Thursday said he was honored to be invited to speak at the tribute ceremony, but quickly shifted his focus to “the real heroes we are here to honor tonight.” With his characteristic modesty, after briefly reviewing some historic moments from his public service career, ‘Hughie’ turned the microphone over to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Bobby Caruthers, who served as emcee for the evening.
A feature of the annual Red, White & Blue event is the valor awards ceremony, where special recognition is given to one member of each department within Sumter County who exhibited outstanding bravery during the past year. “We are here tonight to honor Sumter County’s police, fire and emergency medical service professionals — and to call out a few whose meritorious lifesaving actions deserve special recognition,” Caruthers said.
The Villages Public Safety Department Fire Chief, Edmund Cain, was congratulated on his recent appointment and in turn honored Lt. Bradley Mattingly and Mike Sapp for saving the life of a person who suffered cardiac arrest on a Villages golf course. Sumter County Fire/EMT Service’s Deputy Chief Stephen Kennedy was honored for his design and maintenance of a technologically advanced radio system which has markedly improved communications for the group.
When Paramedic Marshall Isbell and EMT Sean Parker of Rural Metro Ambulance Service were honored, they voiced appreciation for their awards, but emphasized saving lives is always a team effort — with EMTs, paramedics, police and firefighters, doctors, nurses and other hospital staff all playing important roles in victims’ survival. Sumter County Sheriff Bill Farmer honored Deputy Christopher McPeters for saving a life in a crisis situations and Cpl. Allan Hamilton, who acted while unarmed, off duty and out of town with his wife, to help apprehend a shooter, restore order in a busy movie theater and secure paramedic care for a shooting victim.
Villages resident Robert Justice thanked the Sumter County professionals for saving his life and for keeping residents safe and sound.
Several of the people whose lives were saved were present at the tribute barbecue to express their heartfelt appreciation, including Villager Robert Justice, who said “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for these professionals — I owe my life to them — and we in Sumter County owe all of you [assembled law enforcement and public safety specialists] a huge debt of gratitude for keeping us safe.”
Anthony Hamilton was honored by the City of Wildwood Police Chief, and the first annual PSL Community Builder Award, which took the form of a trophy with a construction hammer, was given by company president, Shawn Williams, to Gidget Gibson, for many years of volunteer work with several charities. Shawn elicited laughter when he quipped: “Gidget is much older than I am, and I can prove it, because she also babysat me when I was little.”
Sheriff Bill Farmer speaks during Thursday’s Red, White and Blue banquet.
Going full circle, Lt. Caruthers memorialized Rep. Hugh Gibson’s extensive career in public service which began more than half a century ago (1959) as a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey. His path included positions as both fire chief and detective sergeant before retiring to The Villages with his wife, Evelyn, in 1993. After ‘retirement,’ he went on to be elected commissioner for the Town of Lady Lake in 1995 and Lady Lake Mayor in 1998. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000 and served in that post until he was term-limited in 2008.
“Hugh has dedicated his life’s work to public safety and service, and we always look forward to hearing his stories and words of encouragement,” Sumter County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Samantha Merritt, said.
The evening ended with a parade of the honorees through an audience gauntlet waving lit sparklers. “There are plenty of firefighters here this evening,” Lt. Caruthers quipped, “but please be very careful with those sparklers anyway — they’re mighty hot!”
