Residents of Dayton now have two holidays to celebrate on Nov. 11.
One of them, of course, is Veterans Day — also celebrated internationally as Armistice Day. The international name harkens back to 1918, when German and Entente forces officially ceased fighting after the signing of the Armistice of Compiègne.
The second holiday Daytonians may also now keep on Nov. 11 is Good Samaritan Day.
During its Tuesday night meeting, the city council nominated three young residents to be the inaugural faces of the day, made to honor those who do good in the local community, and gave each of them a key to the city.
Haylei Smith (8th grade), Viviana Martinez (5th grade), and Eduardo Martinez (7th grade) — all students in the Dayton Independent Schools District — were walking home from school on Sept. 17 when they saw something that forced them to stop.
“I remember it all,” Viviana told the packed city council chambers, “…a little kid just popped out of nowhere.”
The group of students acted quickly to help the toddler and brought them to the Bellevue-Dayton fire department. The lost child was reunited with their parents, and the three older children have since been hailed as heroes by the local community.
“These youngsters brought comfort, security, and hope to the toddler’s family; reminding us all of the impact one caring person can have on another’s life,” Mayor Ben Baker said during the award ceremony.