Northeast Community Credit Union recognized city and county road crews for their hard work in response to recent snowstorms on Thursday afternoon.

NCCU treated Carter County and Elizabethton Highway Department employees to a surprise pizza lunch for their outstanding service.

“Every month, we do something for the community,” NCCU Marketing Manager Kelly Roberts said. “We decided since there had been so much snow, and there has been so much overtime by these guys, we needed to do something for them to recognize them for their hard work.”

The Carter County Highway Department has logged more than 3,500 hours removing snow in three weeks of storms, Carter County Road Superintendent Roger Colbaugh said.

And, the city street department has spent than 950 hours clearing snow since the season started, department administrative assistant Kelly Tolley said.

“It starts adding up when you have guys putting in 12-16 hour days working on the roads,” Colbaugh said. “All the other highway departments have worked just as hard and have put a lot of manpower into getting the roads clear and safe again.”

Both of the departments appreciated the special gesture from the local credit union.

“This shows that the community knows how hard these guys worked and that the community appreciates what these fellows do,” Elizabethton Street Department Director Danny Hilbert said.

Colbaugh also appreciated the show of support from the community.

“The men did a good job out there in the ice and snow,” he said. “It means a lot that they were recognized. They all want to do as much as they can out there to keep the roads in good condition.”

The pizza for the surprise lunch was donated by Domino’s and the drinks were donated by Pepsi, Roberts said.

“We wanted to do something nice for them,” she said. “They did so much, and it allowed us to get home and to work safely.”