As hard-rock music blares through the kitchen, cooks armed with spatulas, whisks and wooden spoons attack the huge task of feeding an army of hungry people.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars monthly all-you-can-eat breakfast on Jan. 17 at Beaver Ranch fed 301 people a mountain of food cooked by the members themselves.
A bubbling coffee pot is pressed into service starting very early in the morning. Some members show up at 2 a.m. to start food preparation, arriving just after other VFW members have left after completing set-up tasks.
“We start on average at 2 a.m., work long hours and get a lot of people to eat,” said Conifer VFW Post commander Kirk Rosa, who is in charge of the well-oiled breakfast-making machine. “It’s a lot of hard work to put it on and get it cleaned up afterward.”
The tasks include not just food preparation. Members arrange and display the flags of the different service branches, as well as the Colorado and American flags. A table is set with a POW/MIA flag and dog tag as a reminder of those whose fates are unknown.
Preparations for the breakfast include assembling a battleship-size list of ingredients.
The list includes 60 dozen eggs, 8 gallons of green chili, 80 to100 pounds of potatoes, 75 pounds of bacon, 48 pounds of sausage links, 24 pounds of sausage patties, 15 gallons of orange juice, 6 gallons of gravy and 4 gallons of canned fruit. King Soopers and Safeway donate assorted bagels, pies, cupcakes, pastries and doughnuts.
Cooks are dressed in the post uniform of black jeans, black boots, white shirt, leather vest, ball cap and, most important, a manly apron. The cooks’ secret recipes are guarded as closely as any military secret.
Breakfast-goers sit at tables with red, white and blue tablecloths and condiments that include ketchup and high-powered hot sauces such as U.S. Air Force After-Burner Hot Sauce.
Chuck Bruckman is the commander of American Legion Post 2527 in Bailey. Sitting next to his brimming plate is his cap from the American Legion with pins and patches for the state of Colorado and insignia honoring POWs/MIAs.
“I come here to support the guys and support other veterans,” Bruckman said.
Yvonne and George Holm of Conifer said they have come to the breakfast since it began. Yvonne said more people come to the breakfast every year.
There are no leftovers, and sometimes crew members must make runs to the grocery store to restock the dwindling supply line.
Rick Johnson, acting sergeant-at-arms, is in charge of ordering the huge grocery list and equipment and works hard to ensure there is enough of everything.
“We did pretty good this time. We only ran out of gravy,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he wanted to thank the crew that helps set up and make the breakfast a success.
The Conifer VFW Post 12009 has veterans from most wars, from World War II to the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan.
Rosa and crew provide the breakfast the third Sunday of each month at Beaver Ranch, and the cost is $7 for all you can eat.
“Our breakfast is here so that we can raise funds to help veterans out and support our post,” Rosa said.
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