Negrete Firefighter Foundation prepares for 2nd annual fundraiser at Camp Triumph
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
Two years after the passing of Copperas Cove firefighter/paramedic Jose’ Negrete, his legacy continues through Negrete Firefighter Foundation, Inc.
On Saturday, Aug. 20, the foundation will be holding its 2nd annual celebration and fundraiser at Camp Triumph, from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. Camp Triumph is located at 1203 Pecan Cove in Copperas Cove.
Admission fee is $10 for adults and $6 for children. The fee covers activities for the afternoon, to include go-cards, swimming pool with slide, splash pad, face painting, bounce house, and more.
The afternoon also includes DJ entertainment, a motorcycle show, and performances by bellydancers and mariachis. Vendors and food trucks will also be on site.
The Negrete Firefighter Foundation, Inc. was founded by Negrete’s mother, Maria, after her son, Jose “Joe-Joe” Negrete, passed away after a battle with cancer in 2020. Negrete served for several years with the Copperas Cove Fire Department.
The foundation raises funds to send men and women to the Fire Academy, and help them fulfill a dream like her son’s. The cost to send someone to the Fire Academy is between $4,000 and $5,000, not including any books or uniforms/gear, said Maria.
In 2021, the new foundation raised enough to send not one or two, but three individuals to the fire academy. Two have completed the academy and the third hopes to complete early in 2023, after some injury setbacks.
For the celebration on Aug. 20, more than 70 businesses, organizations, and individuals have donated items for the silent auction. Some of the larger items up for auction include a generator, a stay at Kalahari Resorts, RD Guns, a Second Star Portrait photography gift certificate, along with baskets from many local businesses.