Smiles and steaks abound

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

Delicious steaks and smiles are a tradition with the Annual Colwell Fire Steak Fry.

For 26 years the Colwell Fire Department has put on a steak fry that attracts hundreds.

The fry took place at the United Church of Christ in Colwell. Fire fighters, their families and community groups came together to help put on the event.

The church is a small, but is able to successfully host the event in its basement, using the chapel as a waiting area.

“There’s a wide variety of help from the community,” Lon Isakson, Colwell Fire Chief said.

It’s a popular event that sold over 580 tickets, and has over 600 steaks being grilled.

“We over sold again,” Mike Quade, Colwell fire fighter and grill master said. “The amount has gone up.”

The primary goal of the event is to raise money for the Colwell fire department.

Many people come just for the steaks.

Ed Zimmerman, a resident of Colwell, has been coming to the fry since 1993 and rates to the steaks nine or ten out of ten.

Deny Sherman, another resident of Colwell, came for the steak as well for the past four or five years.

There’s no special recipe for the steaks.

“A lot of hard work, a lot of elbow grease, everybody pitches in, and everybody does their part it works out,” Isakson said.

Three generations of Colwell firefighters have worked on the steak fry.

Larry Katcher, has 40 plus years helping, and his son Rod Katcher started at the Colwell fire department in 1990, and now his daughter has come on the team as a volunteer firefighter in the summer of 2016.

Unfortunately Larry Katcher missed this year’s steak fry, for the first time in 20 years.

The Katchers aren’t the only dynasty of firefighters. Isakson, Colwell Fire Chief for the last 10 years, has two sons in the department.

There are currently 17 fire fighters in the Colwell fire department, and they all helped out Feb. 26.

The grilling was done across the street, from United Church of Christ in Colwell.

Quade and Chuck Knecht both spent much of the time grilling the steaks outside in the 35 degree weather.

The same grill has been used for the past 20 steak fries.

Most of the supplies for the event are bought locally, Isakson said.

“We’re just happy to have the community support,” Isakson said. “It’s a great community event and it works out well.”

This is the main fundraiser for the Colwell Fire Department during the year.

“We do this in lieu of other financing,” Isakson said. “This is a big part of where we make our budget.”

The event always takes place on the last Sunday in February.