Shirley Gibson serves a holiday meal every year to hundreds of D.C. police officers, and on Thursday the city honored her for her work.
Metropolitan Police Department officers and Mayor Muriel Bowser surprised Gibson at a Costco store as she went to buy groceries for the huge meal.
"Oh my goodness!" Gibson said as she saw that officers lined the entrance to the store. She clapped her hand to her mouth and began to cry.
Bowser declared Thursday Shirley Gibson Day and gave the Southeast D.C. woman 15 tickets to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Next week will mark the 20th year Gibson and her husband Harrison will host the annual meal. They serve it in honor of their son, Officer Brian T. Gibson.
At just 27 years old, he was shot and killed Feb. 5, 1997 by a man who wanted to kill any police officer he could find. Officer Gibson is remembered as a kind and excellent officer.
Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham called Shirley Gibson a hero.
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"She has dedicated her life since the loss of her son to helping other families who have lost lost their sons in law enforcement," he said.
On Thursday, Shirley Gibson filled shopping carts with enough food to serve at least 300 people inside her home on Dec. 14. Officers who have attended said it's always memorable.
"It's amazing. The love, the peace, the unity. And you can tell that it's truly from the heart," Officer Irene Reyes-Smith of the 4th District said.
Like last year, Shirley Gibson said this holiday meal will be the last she will host.
"We've decided that we'll always be involved with MPD and law enforcement, always. They'll have our love, they'll have our prayers, but we think we're going to let it go at our house," she said.
She said the dinner has helped her heal from the loss of her son. All D.C. police officers are family, she said.
