By Lyndsie Ferrell
CREEDE—The bi-annual benefit dinner hosted by the Friends of the Mineral County Emergency Services (FOMCES) was a huge success Saturday night, Aug. 19. Hundreds of supporters for the local EMT, fire, search and rescue (SAR) personnel showed up at the community center for a delicious gumbo dinner and silent auction to raise funding for all three departments. The event was hosted by summer residents from the Mountain View RV Park and Resort, who among the many other guests, showed their support for the emergency personnel that risk their lives to keep the area around Creede as safe as possible.
The night was full of shared stories about previous missions from around the Creede area. People who had been rescued locally recounted their stories and gratitude for the skills of all emergency personnel. The crowd of over 300 people gathered to have a fun-filled evening dedicated to the men and woman who serve in and around Creede.
“The evening went exceptionally well. Though we don’t have exact numbers yet, I think we exceeded the last dinner’s amount raised. We had a great turn out with both the silent and live auction with better items to bid on this year. Everything from overnight stays to theatre tickets and back country trips provided by local businesses,” said Sheriff Fred Hosselkus. Hosselkus stated again how great the turnout was for the event, surpassing benefit dinners from previous years by a mile.
Funds raised during the night will be used to purchase new equipment, training operations that are taking place in the fall and some of the funding will go towards the future emergency center that has been in the works for the past three years. In addition to the funding from the benefit dinner, the Mineral County Search and Rescue also recently received their annual grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) which will also help in costs for specific items to enhance their capabilities as a department.
According to the press release provided by DOLA it states, “I am pleased to inform you that the Department of Local Affairs, (DOLA) with recommendations from staff and the Search and Rescue Advisory Council is awarding you $13,565 to support search and rescue activities in your county.”
Hosselkus stated that this particular grant is one that is awarded annually, but is no less important to the survival of the search and rescue operation in the area.
A huge thank you goes out to all of the people who helped with the event, including Mark Hebert for his famous gumbo. Next the Mineral County Search and Rescue invites the public to attend their fundraiser that will take place during the Labor Day festivities in Creede. On the morning of Sept. 2, the department will be serving breakfast and later in the weekend a barbecue lunch during the ATV rodeo.
The night was full of shared stories about previous missions from around the Creede area. People who had been rescued locally recounted their stories and gratitude for the skills of all emergency personnel. The crowd of over 300 people gathered to have a fun-filled evening dedicated to the men and woman who serve in and around Creede.
“The evening went exceptionally well. Though we don’t have exact numbers yet, I think we exceeded the last dinner’s amount raised. We had a great turn out with both the silent and live auction with better items to bid on this year. Everything from overnight stays to theatre tickets and back country trips provided by local businesses,” said Sheriff Fred Hosselkus. Hosselkus stated again how great the turnout was for the event, surpassing benefit dinners from previous years by a mile.
Funds raised during the night will be used to purchase new equipment, training operations that are taking place in the fall and some of the funding will go towards the future emergency center that has been in the works for the past three years. In addition to the funding from the benefit dinner, the Mineral County Search and Rescue also recently received their annual grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) which will also help in costs for specific items to enhance their capabilities as a department.
According to the press release provided by DOLA it states, “I am pleased to inform you that the Department of Local Affairs, (DOLA) with recommendations from staff and the Search and Rescue Advisory Council is awarding you $13,565 to support search and rescue activities in your county.”
Hosselkus stated that this particular grant is one that is awarded annually, but is no less important to the survival of the search and rescue operation in the area.
A huge thank you goes out to all of the people who helped with the event, including Mark Hebert for his famous gumbo. Next the Mineral County Search and Rescue invites the public to attend their fundraiser that will take place during the Labor Day festivities in Creede. On the morning of Sept. 2, the department will be serving breakfast and later in the weekend a barbecue lunch during the ATV rodeo.