A 911 call for one of their own

A pandemic only hampers the hug, but the feeling behind the hug can be expressed a thousand ways!

Social distancing drive-by parades are happening everywhere these days and for lots of reasons -  birthdays, anniversaries, honoring teachers, honoring students....and so on. Gas is cheap and it's a great way we can express love and caring.

Life goes on.

Today well over 50 emergency vehicles from all corners of Venango County with a few spill overs to other counties assembled and paraded past the home of Mary Beth White, a 911 supervisor who has been battling stage 4 metastatic colon cancer for the last two years.

"It's amazing," White said after the procession finished. The senior supervisor of the Venango County 911 center has been off work, though she does occasionally stop in the office to assistant with certain matters. On Saturday White, who uses the call number 619, was all smiles and eager to get back among her colleagues.

She is currently taking a break from chemotherapy and radiation used in hopes of eradicating the cancer that has spread to her bones. White remains optimistic that when she resumes treatments she'll be back to work to take on the important duty of making sure everyone who paraded by her today is kept in line.

Throughout parade it was quite obvious White is every beloved by the first responder community. Many special moments happened along the route when vehicles stopped and individuals got out to wave or offer cards and gifts. Dave Whitehill, known to Mary Beth as Daddy Dave, stopped to blow her a kiss from across the street. The member of the Emlenton Volunteer Fire Department was the one who introduced Mary Beth to her husband Richard.