We Love Our Local Sponsors!

Many of our business sponsors here at The Big Chili Cook-Off have a limited amount of marketing dollars. They need to decide how to best spend those dollars in the community, with the ultimate goal being success of their business.

However…

Here in the Evergreen area we have businesses with heart, and business owners who not only work here, but live in this community and care about it pretty passionately. These businesses have made the decision that their marketing dollars are best spent funding our local volunteer fire departments. And what do they get in return? They get the satisfaction of knowing they’re doing something quite important. And they get our heartfelt thanks.

Thank you Tuscany Tavern. If you haven’t eaten there, you really need to try it. This restaurant brings us a little taste of Italy nestled  here in our beautiful mountains, right at Evergreen Parkway and Squaw Pass Road. You can get a peek at the menu here.

And thanks to EDS Waste Solutions which provides much more than trash removal. EDS offers excellent service and solutions that are not only effective but protect the environment as well. They can meet all your waste removal needs, whether that includes mountain pick-up, city roll-off services or recycling, or regular residential service. For contact information, check the EDS website here.

Remove Slash

One way to protect your home during fire season is by removing slash, that woody debris that frequently gets caught in the undergrowth on your property. Take some time to collect and bundle this material and put it out with your trash. With this fuel removed, your home becomes more defensible in the case of a wildfire.

As of May 10th, Jefferson County has lifted the fire ban,

but temporary fire restrictions still exist. Check the Sheriff’s website herefor an explanation of allowed activity. We want all of you to stay safe!

photo credit: Wikipedia

Prescribed Burn

Some of us may wonder, “Why are prescribed burns done on our forests?” Questions like this loom, especially after the Lower North Fork Wildfirewhich erupted from a prescribed burn. The purpose is to prevent destructive wildfires

which can be done by burning under safer conditions with the necessary tools for control. An appropriately “controlled” burn would reduce fuels that feed dangerous fires and assure that the next fire season would not bring destructive, property damaging fire. Prescribed burning is a very precise practice and a complex tool. Fire is applied in a knowledgeable manner to forest fuels on a specific land area under selected weather conditions to accomplish predetermined, well-defined management objectives. Only a certified fire prescriptionist should be allowed to burn. Proper diagnosis and detailed planning is mandatory before every burn. An incomplete assessment of any factor in a plan can lead to serious loss of property and life with serious liability questions to both the landowner and the one responsible for the burn. Here at The Big Chili, we’re not casting judgment on anyone for the prescribed burn done in March. We don’t yet know every detail – it’s possible the wind simply didn’t behave as predicted. Yet even in the wake of such a terrible turn of events it’s important to remember that prescribed burns are necessary. They actually serve to make us safer

as well as keeping the forest healthy.

Never Let Up

Funding Our Heroes

While the Lower North Fork fire was burning, another fire sprang up in Sawmill Gulch near Genesee which threatened homes. Eight fire districts responded and this fire was thankfully put out overnight. One of the responding fire departments was Indian Hills, and unfortunately about $2,000 worth of fire hoses was destroyed during the blaze. Where does the money come from to replace equipment when it’s lost? Sometimes it comes from donors. Sometimes it comes from the firefighters own pockets.

This is the reason we have The Big Chili Cook-Off each year in Evergreen. The Big Chili raises money not only for Indian Hills, but also for the volunteer firefighters of Elk Creek, , Inter Canyon, Platte Canyon, Evergreen and  North Fork fire districts. We hope you plan on attending – you’ll have great fun, eat fantastic food and hear some rockin’ music. But please also consider donating to The Big Chili yourself. We currently have a local business that has stepped up with a matching donation. This means that if you give this month, every dollar you donate will be matched. This instantly doubles the impact of your gift. Check The Big Chili website here for more information on how to donate. Thank you to every single one of you – this event raises the money it does because of people like you!

Keep the Fire Ban in Mind

As we head closer to summer and especially the Fourth of July, please keep in mind that permissible fireworks, as defined by Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-28-101, are strictly prohibited here in our mountain community. But this doesn’t mean we can’t all enjoy celebrating the day. Each year Indian Hills Fire / Rescue hosts a traditional July 4th celebration. The day-long events to celebrate our nation’s birthday begin with a Pancake Breakfast for the public, followed by a Parade, Fire/Rescue demonstrations, day-long entertainment by local musicians and culminates with one of the best and largest fireworks displays (weather permitting) in the entire metro area. This great event is run by volunteer firefighters and is really great fun! Mark your calendars now – July 4th – and we’ll look forward to seeing you there!

Matching Your Gift

A bad fire season is predicted this year in the Rocky Mountains. The rain and snow we’ve been having the last couple of days certainly helps, but our volunteer fire departments are preparing for a dry summer. With this in view, The Big Chili Cook-Off has set a goal of increasing sponsorships by 30% for this year’s cook-off.

You may think only businesses can sponsor The Big Chili, but that’s not true! Everyone can be involved. Everyone can feel the satisfaction of contributing to our local fire departments. In fact, we’ve had a local business step up with a matching gift this spring. This means, if you donate $10, they will match it with $10. If you donate $40, they will match it with $40 – - all the way up to $1,500! This means that right now, whatever you are able to give will be doubled. That’s fantastic!

Check The Big Chili on facebook for more information about our matching program. You can go to The Big Chili anytime  (by clicking here) to donate online. Thank you! Every volunteer hour, every monetary gift, and every gift in kind helps our firefighters to be better equipped and better prepared.

 

Be a Hero

What Does Community Mean?

During the Lower North Fork Wildfire, we had firefighters from other states and fire districts come to our assistance. But it wasn’t the “same old same old” here in our mountain community. Our local businesses know what it means to offer a helping hand. Not only did local hotels offer rooms for families which had been displaced, but five restaurants came together and provided 750 meals for the firefighters. Local business people stepped up to serve those who were in the trenches.

One firefighter from Utah said he had never been treated with such kindness and gratitude anywhere else. All we can say is – that’s what the word “community” means to us. It means we’re all in this together. It’s why we call these mountains … home.

Fourth of July Celebration

Each year Indian Hills Fire / Rescue hosts a traditional July 4th celebration. The day-long events to celebrate our nation’s birthday begin with a Pancake Breakfast for the public, followed by a Parade, Fire/Rescue demonstrations, day-long entertainment by local musicians and culminates with one of the best and largest fireworks displays (weather permitting) in the entire metro area.

The event is well attended by people from all over our mountain community. The events are organized and conducted by members of the Indian Hills Fire Department who graciously volunteer hundreds of hours to ensure that the celebration and events are a success. However, the expense of providing this celebration and the day’s activities, including the fireworks show are enormous. With the exception of the pancake breakfast, which charges a fee to help recover costs, the activities are provided free of charge to the public. The costs are covered by donations. The fireworks display alone costs over $6000.
No taxpayer funds are used to conduct the day’s events.

Your Indian Hills Fire Department is a volunteer organization consisting primarily of Indian Hills residents, your neighbors, who provide a critical service to our community, often at great personal risk and cost. As a member of our community, we ask for your support by making a donation to July 4th Events Fund and help us continue this local tradition. Click here for information on donating.
Thank you! We can hardly wait until July 4th!