By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
The Negrete Firefighter Foundation held its 5th annual fundraising event at Texas A&M University – Central Texas in Killeen, offering an evening of entertainment and fun and featuring a silent auction with more over 200 gift baskets to bid on.
The fundraiser kicked off at 4 p.m., with an opening ceremony featuring special remarks starting at 5 p.m. The rest of the evening was filled with entertainment, including a mariachi band, the Central Texas Belly Dance Association, Folklorico dancers, Sword Siren Collective dancers, and a free magic show.
This year’s event was able to grow even more in size due to the change in location to the university.
Maria Negrete, founder of the organization, said that seeing everybody come out was very humbling.
“It’s humbling in the sense that the need is real, that as a community, we can put all the young kids or young adults to become somebody productive, somebody that can help our neighbors,” Negrete said. “You know, being a firefighter is not an easy career or an easy thing to do, so it takes a special calling.”
Since its inception, the Negrete Firefighter Foundation has funded 13 scholarships to send firefighters through the Fire Academy. Negrete said that there are two recipients in Manor, two in Killeen, one in Lampasas, and now one in Copperas Cove who was introduced Saturday evening during the event: Gavin Hamm.
This year’s silent auction was bigger and better than years past, with more than 200 gift baskets up for grabs.
Negrete said that the businesses have really stepped up to support the foundation and the scholarship recipients “because they believe in what they’re doing, and it’s a hard job.”
She added that this was an opportunity to continue his legacy with her family, friends, and the many volunteers who help make everything possible.
“What this does, it gives the opportunity to those that want to be a firefighter that might not have the means of paying $5,000 to an academy,” Maria told the crowd gathered for the opening ceremony of Saturday’s event. “They might not have that.”
Applicants submit a video application where they share why they want to become a firefighter, which is then viewed by the foundation’s board.
“The opportunity is given to those that might not have A/B Honor Roll, might not be getting a scholarship for any athletics for the state of Texas,” Maria said. “But I believe that it is a right for every individual if they have the passion to be someone in our community, then they need to do that.”
Jose’s brother, Gabe Negrete, shared a few words during the opening ceremony as well.
“We work really hard trying to preserve my little brother’s memory,” he said. “I think about him often in July and August. Little things remind me of him, and I think it’s finally getting a little bit easier. It’s only taken five or six years. I smile more when I think of him, and I think the Foundation has the same effect on us all too. At first, we did it out of grief, a way to put that bad energy into something, but now it’s growing. We see the people we put into the academy- we see them working here locally, in Lampasas and wherever.”
Copperas Cove Mayor Dan Yancey was another guest speaker of the evening.
“Jose was more than a firefighter and paramedic,” Yancey said. “He was a public servant who answered a calling to help others, who faithfully served the citizens of Copperas Cove as part of our fire department family. His passing was tremendous loss to those who knew and loved him, and to his fellow firefighters, and to the community he served. What is so meaningful about today is that Jose’s story did not end with his passing. His legacy continues through the Negrete Firefighter Foundation through the incredible work being done here in his name.”
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