By Shannon Lukens.

 

Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue is having a battle. The A, B, and C shifts are in a competition to see who can collect the most food and money for LiftUp of Routt County. The competition runs through New Year’s Eve. Collection bins will be outside the Mountain Fire Station and the downtown Ambulance barn, if you want to help drop off food and personal items, especially for dental and infant care.

 

Here’s more from the City of Steamboat Springs; Dec. 1, 2022.

 

Burning Desire to Assist LiftUp This Holiday Season

Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue Collects Food & Monetary Donations

 

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-December 1, 2022- Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue’s (SSFR) A, B & C shifts are battling each other to collect the most food and monetary donations for LiftUp of Routt County through New Year’s Eve, December 31.

 

“As firefighters we always like a friendly rivalry, and this food collection competition went to the heart of sharing the holiday spirit and helping others in our community,” said SSFR Firefighter and Public Education Coordinator Julie Wernig. “More than 2,600 people in Routt County go to bed hungry on a daily basis and we’re hoping our efforts extinguish a little bit of that this holiday season.”

 

Each shift will be working to collect the most donations on a weekly basis between December 5 and December 31. Shifts will be spreading holiday cheer and using their competitive spirit for the good of the community to collect as much as they can during the four-week drive.

 

Requests items include: canned goods (soups, vegetable, meats), rice/beans, boxed dinners (Hamburger Helper), bags/tins of coffee, boxed cereal/oatmeal, pancake/waffle mix, syrup/jams/jellies, peanut butter, pop-tarts/granola bar, and shelf stable juice & milk. In addition, personal items, dental hygiene, feminine products, and infant care are always in demand. Items must be packaged and not expired or past best by date.

 

Collection bins will be located outside the Mountain Fire Station and the downtown Ambulance Barn for drop offs. In addition, you may see each shift at various locations across town seeking donations and raising awareness. In the fire house, Captain Scott Hetrick heads A Shift; Captain Michael Arce runs B Shift and Captain Joe Oakland leads C Shift. Each shift is comprised of nine firefighters.

 

“Regardless of which crew brings in the most; together, we all win by assisting our community,” commented Chief Chuck Cerasoli. “The holiday season can bring added stress especially when you are fighting to hang on and we hope our efforts alleviate some of those fears for folks.”

 

Respecting the dignity of every person, LiftUp serves the community by providing resources and assistance to meet basic human needs and strengthen self-sufficiency. Today, LiftUp is comprised of three departments: Food Banks/Community Support Center, Thrift Store, and Donation Center and actively serves 1 in 10 residents across the county.