John Spalvins had good intentions but a small budget when he organized a charity fundraiser at Champa Square on Saturday afternoon for the .
Several area restaurants provided chili, and Boulder Ice Cream provided frozen refreshment. About a dozen firefighters from Denver and Golden were on hand to offer tours of their firetrucks, talk to the public about safety and pose for photos in return for donations.
But few members of the public attended the Colorado Fire Relief Community Event, despite Spalvins’ repeated calls over a sound system to the crowds below on the 16th Street Mall.
The event was on the second floor next to Café Berlin on the northeast corner at 1600 Champa St. The location was up a flight of stairs and out of view.
It didn’t help matters when the remaining firefighters in attendance from Denver raced off in their trucks to respond to a nearby fire.
Spalvins, a video producer who was a volunteer firefighter in the past, said he had hoped to raise $2,000 to $5,000 but instead was left with lots of ice cream and chili.
Nearby, several thousand firefighters from across the country were gathered for the final day of the International Association of Fire Chiefs conference at the Colorado Convention Center.
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, asvaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/aldosvaldi
