Combine fried catfish, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and cake with more than 100 senior citizens from all across the county, and you get the Pike County Sheriffs Department annual fish fry.

“(It’s) good food and good fellowship,” said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas.

The event held Thursday at the Colley Senior Complex is one Thomas has been sponsoring for 10 years as part of the nation’s Older American Month.

Thomas and staff of the sheriff’s department help with all the preparations and provide the food.

Thomas said he does it simply as a way to say “Thanks” to those who sacrificed for him.

“This is just my way of saying thank you.” Thomas said. “It is a great honor and blessing to serve the senior citizens.”

Hassie Green, center director of the Lillian D. Green Nutrition Center, has also been a key player in this annual event.

Green saw a need for an event to be held to honor the seniors’ 10 years ago and approached Thomas with the idea. Without hesitation, he agreed.

“This has nothing to do with elections, it is his way of giving back to the community that he comes from,” Green said.

Green, who taught Thomas when he was in high school said this giving spirit is just part of who he is.

“He was an all-around type of person, then too,” Green said.

Last year the Lillian D. Green Nutrition Center gave back a little to the sheriff’s Department as a way to say thank you for holding the event each year.

“It’s a homemade-lunch, as a way to say thanks to the sheriffs department,” Green said.

But it wasn’t just the members of the Colley Senior Complex who enjoyed Thomas’ cooking.

Mary Linton, director of Goshen Senior Center, said residents from the town enjoyed taking part in the event.

“I am thrilled that the sheriffs department sponsors this event each year, they are a great group of people,” Linton Said.