Barbecue and bravery

Neither a windstorm nor snow could stop Coeur d'Alene's Candlelight Christian Fellowship from handing out hot meals to thank first responders for their service. 

With the help of an anonymous benefactor, the church prepared 600 servings of pulled pork and beef brisket sandwiches for firefighters, law enforcement officers and medical providers Friday afternoon. After witnessing the strenuous year, Candlelight facility administrator Erick Koenig said the benefactor felt the urge to give back. 

"We want to show support in these times where first responders are under fire for what they do," Koenig said. "We hope that we can give them a little hope and encouragement to keep the good fight going."

For him and the volunteers braving the cold, the event was about cheerful giving, serving and loving others. 

"There is a lot of uncertainty right now. It's grim and dim and a lot of hate going on," Koenig said. "There is too much of that. We want people to be together, and we have control over our community. We can start here."

Driving from Shoshone County was half the battle for the two vendors, Garren Teed BBQ and Classic Foods Catering. The other half was preparing the food after a regional power outage. 

"I know there are parts of Coeur d'Alene that still don't have electricity, but there are major areas in Shoshone that don't have it either," said Garren Taylor, the co-owner of Garren Teed BBQ. "Both of these meals were cooked with no electricity. I've been running generators for 48 hours straight."

Every meal served came with a heap of sides, including coleslaw, mac and cheese, smoked baked beans and cookies. He and the owner of Classic Food Catering, Linda Northington, were moved by the giveaway and were excited to give back to the cause. 

"It's easy for them just to be in that grind, that daily cycle, and feel like nobody cares, so every once in a while, we want to be able to let them know we are aware of all they do," Taylor said. "They've been taking care of us, so we also need to be taking care of them. They need support too."

As volunteers huddled under a tent in the church's parking lot, responders from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, and Coeur d'Alene Police rolled in, welcomed by a roar of cheers. For three members of CDAFD, the experience was uplifting and humbling. 

"The community has seen in so many different ways how hard recent events have been for people, and they still give back," CDAFD Engineer Dave Tysdal said. "In general, Coeur d'Alene comes together and takes care of each other. You don't see that kind of family dynamic in most cities."

Captain Steve Jones and Firefighter Andy Goodsell couldn't agree more. They said they were thankful not only for this event and the community's generosity but also for their fellow first responders and law enforcement. 

"The community comes together on so many levels for everyone. It's pretty humbling the appreciation that is shown to us for what we do," Goodsell said. "We don't do it for the recognition, but it's always nice to have that support and see that everyone knows we're just here to help."