The Reef, Camp Caylor feed city employees

By BRITTANY FHOLER 
Cove Leader-Press 

Camp Caylor and The Reef food truck showed their appreciation for the city’s hardworking employees this weekend with a free meal and drink. 
While many people stayed home due to the icy weather last week, the city’s streets department as well as police, fire/EMS workers and more kept working in the dangerous weather conditions, often without power to their own homes.  
Bob Jericho, owner of The Reef at Camp Caylor, came up with the idea to give away 25 meals to these essential workers as a token of appreciation. He posted about his idea on social media and received positive feedback from other residents, including several people who donated to cover the cost of more meals. 
“The thing about all these folks that are working, you know, leaving their families- It’s cold, it’s wet. Power’s out, water’s off, and these folks are leaving their family to go do the work that I probably wouldn’t want to do, me personally,” Jericho said. “I understand that is their job, but it takes courage. So, me and my family, we sat there and thought, ‘What can we do?’” 
The total number of meals available to be donated was 94 as of press time. 
Several city employees, from the Fire Department to the Streets Department, stopped by over the weekend to enjoy their meal and drinks. 
“At the end of the day, it’s about doing something good,” Jericho said. “I follow Facebook pretty consistently, and I see people who are residents of Copperas Cove doing what little they can, providing water to their neighbors and things like that. This is really what the community is all about, stuff like this that can really bring the community together, see how we can help each other and then just be a resource to those who aren’t able and those who are able.”
Some of the local residents and businesses that have donated to the Reef to help out include 
Ellen Bradley Thornton, Carrie Harris and GymKix, Amy Sandage Hunt, Tommy Lopez and family, Juliet Lopez and family, Philip Natividad and family, Trudee Rodriguez and family, Petra Klarius and family, Teresa Gorres and family, David Lea and family, the Jeik Brothers and Josh Akers and Akers Commercial Appliance, which offered the Reef maintenance or repairs of any equipment or appliances, free of charge. 
Last weekend, The Reef and Camp Caylor had a Valentine’s Day dinner event, with lobster and steak and cheesecake, which ended up being canceled due to worsening road conditions. 
“We actually sold out of our spots for Saturday because we were going to do two events for Saturday and Sunday,” Jericho said. The owners of Camp Caylor and Jericho made the decision to cancel on Friday. 
Jericho said that he had purchased the food already and ended up giving away some of the lobster tails and steaks to neighbors. He also gave away three cheesecakes on Facebook. 
“We lost obviously some money during that weekend, but there’s more than making money,” Jericho said. “We’re here for the long haul. We’re here to be with the community, be with Copperas Cove.”
For more information, follow The Reef on Facebook or visit Camp Caylor, located at 146 County Road 4814 in Copperas Cove. Camp Caylor is open Thursday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.