Joe Groover was floored when he was presented with his gift for 2009 Officer of the Year.

The Hall County Sheriff’s deputy, seriously wounded in a standoff with a gunman last year, was picked for top honors by the Hall County Sheriff’s Citizens Academy Alumni Association. The civilian group, which receives no funding from the sheriff’s office, presented Groover, an avid outdoorsman, with $500 worth of camping gear and a $500 gift card to Bass Pro Shops.

"The fact that they asked some of my friends what my interests were and went out themselves and got it, it meant a lot more than something impersonal like a trophy," Groover said. "It was very generous, very touching, and it meant a lot to me."

The 50-member association is like a booster club for the sheriff’s office. Its members, all graduates of the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy, said they feel that sometimes the men and women who wear the badge deserve more than a pat on the back.

"We feel it’s very important to recognize them," said Sandy Jordan, the group’s president. "As a citizen, often all you know about them is they’ll come when you call 911. But there’s a person there who has a family and risks his life. We feel they should be recognized for putting their lives on the line every day."

Since its formation nearly four years ago, the alumni association has donated bicycles to the sheriff’s Christmas bike drive, teddy bears and dolls for officers to give to children on domestic calls, and pitched in to buy a $1,800 padded suit used in training officers on defensive tactics.

"There are certain things the taxpayer can’t be expected to pay for," alumni association member Vic Dube said.

Last year’s officer of the year, Shane Presgraves, needed a backup sidearm. The association bought him a Glock revolver.

Then there are the cookies, the breakfasts, the food for citizens academy potlucks that the association provides.

"It’s a great morale booster," said Hall County Detention Officer David Hunter, one of the finalists this year for the Officer of the Year who got a runner-up prize of a dinner for two at a fine dining restaurant in Gainesville. "A lot of times the members of the community don’t recognize officers until they have to respond to a situation. What they do as far as all the nice things and feeding us makes you proud about the job you’re doing."

The other two Officer of the Year finalists, who also received dinners for two, were crime scene investigator Cameron Durham and courthouse security Sgt. Roger Tapia.

When Groover’s family went through tight financial times while he missed work recovering from a gunshot wound to the arm, Hall County residents responded. Among the numerous contributors were the members of the alumni association, who raised $1,000 to help with the deputy’s personal finances.

"A lot of members of the community pitched in and covered my bills, and to be frank, that’s what kept my head above water," Groover said. "That’s what provided for my wife and children, and it’s something I’ll never forget."

Groover, who started his law enforcement career in Savannah, said the support the group provides to law enforcement is unlike anything he has seen elsewhere.

"I haven’t seen a community rally around their officers like Hall County does," he said.