ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WDHN)—A retired Army Officer who was also a former teacher in the wiregrass gave back to those sworn to help others.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Sam Scruggs’ mission is to recognize first responders, whose life-saving work is often overshadowed in the national media when something bad happens.

Mayor William Cooper presented $333 dollars to his city’s police, fire, and rescue services.
The cash came from Huntsville area native Sam Scruggs who owns a national and international custom home construction company.

At one time, Scruggs taught JROTC at Carroll high school in Ozark. Scruggs respects first responders. He believes their life’s mission is often lost in national media coverage of tragedies like the deaths of George Floyd and Tyre Nichols.

“We want to get some thank yous out there, some pizza parties going. Some free movies, free everything like a trip to the Bahamas. Let’s step up the game, let’s get serious about treating first responders with some respect,” Scruggs says.

Police Chief Michael Moore appreciates Scruggs’ donation, and his viewpoint that
tragic incidents often overshadow the far majority of well-performed police and other first responders.

“Nationally it’s the same. I got friends all across the nation. The majority of us are doing right. Like the lt. The colonel says 95 percent support us. Also, 95-to-99 percent are phenomenal people who want to serve their community,” according to Chief Moore.

Enterprise Mayor William Cooper says such generosity is really what giving back to the community is all about.

Mayor Cooper says “he could have presented this to anybody in Huntsville or Dothan or anywhere else. But again he didn’t forget about our city and the good things that happened to him while he was here.”

Scruggs says his customized home construction company will donate tens of thousands of dollars to city responders nationwide this year.