Several restaurants in Owensboro are giving away free food or offering discounts to first responders and healthcare workers to thank them for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The McDonald’s locations in Owensboro are providing one “Thank You Meal” per day to healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics through May 5. The meals include a choice of a sandwich, side and drink along with a note of appreciation.
Little Caesars announced earlier this month it will donate one million pizzas over the coming weeks to first responders. They also created a way for customers to pay it forward.
When people order online or on the company’s app, they have the option to “pie it forward” and donate a pizza to first responders and medical workers in their community during checkout.
While some of the fast-food chains just started offering free meals to frontline workers following the outbreak of COVID-19, some joints in Owensboro have been offering discounted meals to those in uniform for years.
Mike Courtney, operating manager of both local Ritzy’s, said police officers eat for half price. There’s a 20 percent discount for paramedics and firefighters, and 10 percent discount for Owensboro Health employees.
Courtney said he has been giving these discounts for more than 15 years to emergency responders, and he picked up the discounts for hospital employees a few years ago.
“They are the ones who take the brunt for a lot of things and I think they are important to the community, and they are deserving of sometimes a little extra just for what they do for us,” Courtney said.
Alvionne Jones, first assistant manager at Culver’s, said first responders and healthcare workers eat with a 10 percent discount every day.
All they need to do is show their work badge or be in uniform to receive a free meal.
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