A community can be more than just your friendly neighbors; they can be your mentors, your teachers, even your family. When a community unites, it can achieve things that initially felt almost impossible. At Ashton Court Care and Rehabilitation Center in Liberty, MO, community outreach is a monthly event where everyone anticipates the theme and participates in the efforts. So when Ashton Court heard about a local tragedy, the team came together and brainstormed how to make this community outreach initiative especially meaningful and a way they could give back.
Jennifer Jennings, Ashton Court’s Executive Director, usually decides what community outreach the center will organize each month but, for the month of November, there was no speculating what their efforts would be dedicated to. On October 12, two Kansas City firefighters, John Mesh and Larry Leggio, were killed in the line of duty responding to an apartment fire. Moved by their heroism, Ashton Court wanted to do something in honor of the men. “My heart felt for those families and we knew we wanted to honor those men but we just didn’t know how,” Jennifer said. Determined to make a meaningful impact, she came up with the idea to use fire hoses to create American flags.
Ashton Court staff contacted a local fire house that donated decommissioned fire hoses and the construction of the flags began. Jennifer said the flags took more hoses than expected, but “the local fire houses offered to give any and all the hoses needed to make the flags.” Jennifer painted the hoses while Ashton Court’s maintenance director, Damon Lawson and technician Robert Burgess assembled the hoses into three flags. Each flag included a metal dedication plate that paid homage to the firefighters. The plates honoring John and Larry included specific details about each of them. Two of the flags were donated to the fire houses of the fallen firefighters, and the third flag was created to be auctioned off through a raffle, of which the proceeds were donated to the families of the fallen men. This flag has a metal plate that is dedicated to all firefighters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and bears the date October 12, 2015, the day John and Larry died.
Feeling that they could still do more to honor firefighters and all they do, a chili cook-off was hosted for all local firefighters that November. The Leggio family and his fellow firefighter brethren attended the event where the flags were to be revealed. Jennings said Larry’s wife walked in and went right up to the flag that was to be given to her husband’s fire station. Overwhelmed with gratitude and grief, she turned to Jennifer and asked, “Can you make me one of these?” The fire station gave Larry’s wife the very hose he was holding the day of his passing and Jennifer, Damon, and Robert crafted the Leggio family a flag for their home. Ashton Court then decided to make the Mesh family a flag to have in their home so both families can have a tangible memory of the men’s heroism.
Jennifer is no stranger to community outreach, but her efforts alongside Ashton Court’s have continued to echo for her and the community. “I’ve been at Ashton Court for seven years and this was probably the most rewarding community event I’ve ever done.” With television, radio, print and even the state capitol shedding light on the fire hose flags, Ashton Court was able to give back to their community and honor both John and Larry for their heroism and sacrifice. We send our condolences to the families, friends, and fellow firemen of John Mesh and Larry Leggio. We are beyond moved by the gestures of Jennifer Jennings and the team at Ashton Court Care and Rehabilitation center. We want to thank them for being a champion in community outreach and for the compassion and respect shown by everyone who helped recognize two local heroes by uniting as a community to honor their memory.
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