Attendees at Saturday’s chili cook off had their pick of several different desserts.
Estimated to have burned nearly 11,000 acres, the Squirrel Creek fire west of Laramie this summer tested the mettle of local volunteer fire fighters.
Saturday, the Big Laramie Valley Volunteer Fire Department hosted a chili cook off and silent auction to honor these brave men and women, as well as raise money for new equipment and help cover the cost of training for the volunteers.
“This is our fifth year doing a cook off,” event coordinator Phyllis Bauer, said. This year there were 16 competitors in three chili categories. Attendees had the opportunity to choose one winner in each of the red, white and green categories.
Bauer said last year the department raised $8,000. “With the recent fires, donations are expected to increase,” she said. “Wild fires always seem to increase awareness for the departments.” Bauer said her husband responded to six fires this summer.
At Saturday’s event alone, the department brought in $5,445, more than any other year to date. Combined with the proceeds from other fund raising activities, including the silent auction, the department raised about $18,000, Bauer said.
The men and women of the department were not the only winners. One supporter walked away with over $270 in cash from a 50/50 drawing, and another won a 4-wheel All-Terrain Vehicle.
An estimated 250 people turned out to support the department on Saturday, including volunteers from other area fire departments. “We’ve never run out of chili before,” Bauer said with an exhausted smile crossing her face.
There was a strong sense of community at the event, a driving force for many firefighters, many who volunteer with no thought of monetary compensation.
“It may sound cliché,” Big Laramie Valley volunteer firefighter Kat Reed said, “but it’s about neighbor helping neighbor.”
Volunteering is difficult simply because of time constraints, Mike Morin, Big Laramie Valley volunteer fire fighter said. He is self-employed, and has no trouble dropping what he is doing to answer a call, but others do not have that luxury, he said.
Because they do not get paid to fight fires, most of the men and women also work other jobs. Most employers understand and allow the volunteers to leave when they get a call, Reed said.
The training the volunteers get is not all hands on, but it is rigorous. “We train year around and we attend fire school at various places around the state throughout the year,” Morin said.
