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CENTREVILLE, IL (KTVI) – As part of honoring law officers and first responders on this September 11th anniversary, crews came together to help the family of a fallen Centreville police lieutenant.

They all took part in what was termed ‘an old fashioned roof raising.’
It took place at the home of former Centreville police lieutenant Greg Jonas.

The 59 year old was killed in the line of duty while patrolling at a Centreville housing complex back in June of 2009.

Jonas` widow still lives at the house on West Main Street in Belleville.

On this Patriot Day, the Roofing and Siding Contractors Alliance teamed up with Backstoppers to put a badly needed new roof on the house.
Workers from more than a dozen companies showed up to help.

The project was free for the Jonas family.
“I really want to cry because I`m really happy that somebody do care and somebody really helping me that I really need. So I`m just proud that everybody that`s here that`s really helping me out,” said Lieutenant Jonas` widow Viola Jonas.

The president of the Contractors Alliance say the group was looking to reach out with some charity work.
This is the first project they chose to do.
And they wanted to do it on this day.
 

“What better way to honor a family of a fallen hero than be able to give them a new roof on 9/11,” said Matt Willis, the president of Contractors Alliance.

“It`s paying the families back for the sacrifice that was made by their loved one. And in my estimation it`s the least we can do for them,” added Ron Battelle, the Executive Director of Backstoppers.

Jonas` family says the past three plus years since the killing have been extremely difficult.
Acts of kindness like this one help them cope.

They have a message for the public about law officers and first responders.

“They are out there putting their life on the line everyday for the public and that they really need somebody to stand behind them when stuff like this happen,” said Viola.

The Contractors Alliance says it is planning to do more charity projects like today`s in the future especially on the September 11th anniversary.