Neither wind, nor rain nor freezing cold fingers could stop Donna Perry of Suffolk from her efforts to raise money for Suffolk public service members on Friday.

“We’ve been out here setting up since 9:30,” she said. “It’s been pouring rain, but people are still coming out to get their lunches. It’s been awesome, and the food smells so good.”

As the only current member of the Citizens Academy Alumni of Suffolk, a group which comprises former students of the Citizens’ Police Academy, Perry has a heart for Suffolk’s police officers.

Past fundraisers, which Perry has been involved with for years, have helped purchase items such as a “glass master” – which safely and quickly breaks a window – for rescue vehicles.

On Friday, Perry, Chuck Fischer and Cheryl Blair worked together to sell tickets for and distribute lunches catered by Captain Bob’s of North Carolina, held at the First Lady on Friday afternoon.

“We handed out 150 lunches in the first hour,” Perry said, estimating they pre-sold 150 to 200 tickets.

“Donna has always been such a blessing to the dispatch,” said Blair, a dispatcher. “She has such a heart to help public service in Suffolk. This year I decided I wanted to help give back to the community.”

“Proceeds will go towards the annual picnic for the service members and to the police department to help them purchase things not in their budget,” Perry said. “Part of our mission is to help make their job a little easier.”

“This is such a great cause,” said Red Cross’s Ashley Greene, who heard about the fundraiser through Facebook. “We really wanted to help support it, so we got lunches for all the girls in the office.”

Overall, Perry said, the fundraiser was a success despite the rain.

“The thing of it is, is just that the people of Suffolk are very generous,” Fischer said.