Redfish raises money for fire-rescue team

Modern Brewery Age, Feb 17, 2003

The 5th annual Boulder Brewsfest, held Saturday, January 25 at Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse in Boulder, GO, raised $2,200 for the St. Vrain Rapid Intervention Team.

The St. Vrain Rapid Intervention Team is an elite, all-volunteer, Boulder County firefighter unit that rescues trapped and injured firefighters from dangerous fire situations.

Redfish owner, Dale Katechis, has presented a check for $2,200 to Andrew Hart, a Boulder firefighter who heads up the St. Vrain Rapid Intervention Team.

"Fire-fighters are a fearless, brave group, the St Vrain men and women are some of the bravest," Katechis says. "They need our support and we're glad to be able to help them with this donation."

The donation was made in honor of the late Gordon Knight

Knight founded Wolf Tongue Brewery (Nederland, GO) and High Country/Estes Park Brewing (Estes Park, GO) and was part owner of Twisted Pine Brewing. He was also a helicopter rescue pilot, he died in a helicopter crash while fighting the Big Elk fire, near Boulder, last July 30.

Brian Lutz is the brewmaster for Redfish and its sister location, Oskar Blues Brewery, in Lyons, Colorado. He heads up the annual Brewsfest and picked St. Vrain rescue team to be this year's beneficiary.

"They are all friends and co-workers of Gordon's, they fought forest fires together," Lutz says of the St. Vrain intervention team. "They were a logical, local charity who could really use the money. That $2,200 goes along way for them."