Coors Brewery receives firefighter statue in thanks

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Located in Golden, Colorado, Coors Brewery is now the site of a statue that honors firefighters and thanks MillerCoors for its ongoing support.
Through its Protect Our West campaign which started four years ago, Coors has donated 25 cents from the purchase of each case or case equivalent of Coors Banquet beer. These donations benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF), an organization that supports wildland firefighters and their families. The Foundation donated the statue symbolizing a fallen firefighter to Coors in thanks for this campaign.

WFF originally started with a group of volunteers in 1994 after the Storm King fire in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation officially formed in spring 1999 and its mission is “To honor, recognize and support wildland firefighters, past, present and future, and to provide resources to assist fallen and injured firefighters and their families.”
Based in Boise, Idaho, WFF provides support in many ways, including covering travel costs to bring family members to an injured firefighter’s bedside, or helping to replace wages lost during a firefighter’s medical leave.
The foundation also sponsors a Family Fire Weekend each May. This event brings together parents, grandparents, spouses, children, extended family members, friends, colleagues and agencies to honor wildland firefighters who have died.

The weekend also supports injured firefighters and their families. The event continues to grow each year due partly to unfortunate fatalities each year. Many family members return annually to share time with old and new friends and to welcome others who have lost wildland firefighters from their own families.
The Protect Our West campaign has raised more than $1 million for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation since its start four years ago, according to the MillerCoors website. It is available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Next time you’re raising a class, remember to drink some Coors Banquet. You will help benefit the Coors’ Protect Our West Campaign and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

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Last Updated on 04/22/2019 by Carolyn Sostrom

About the Author:

Carolyn Sostrom

Biography:

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle.

She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*.

With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower.

She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix.

Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.

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