Firefighters bring the heat
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 23, 2011
By Nyla Smith
L’Observateur
LAPLACE – The St. John Professional Firefighters are on a roll with their second Relay for Life event held Saturday at New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood in LaPlace.
This time the civic workers joined with Natalie Tatje of Tatje Insurance and her Relay for Life team, “Tough Cookies,” to sponsor a fireman’s calendar. The calendar features St. John’s volunteer and professional firefighters from both the east and west bank of the parish.
New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood hosted the event with its “Featured Server” fundraiser.
Owen Scott, general manager of the restaurant, said the fundraiser is available upon request for organizations raising money for charitable events.
He also said the featured server invites friends to dine in the restaurant, and all tips collected throughout the event are placed in a box and donated to the designated charity.
“The restaurant adds $150 to the total amount collected,” said Scott.
Tatje, the featured server for the evening, is also a breast cancer survivor.
“I came to both raise awareness and to volunteer for the event,” said Tatje.
Christine Duhe, an employee at Tatje Insurance and team member of “Tough Cookies,” designed the calendar, and Bryan Castillo, along with Tatje, did the photo shoot at the St. Andrews Fire Station on St. Andrews Boulevard.
The first annual calendar also features a female firefighter for the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The calendars are $15 and can be purchased at Tatje Insurance, PJ’s Coffee in LaPlace, Quick Stop Carwash, Saint Optical on Carrollwood Drive and Buddy B’s Restaurant in Garyville.
Parish President Natalie Robottom helped end the night’s event as auctioneer for the live auction of two of St. John’s finest, Eric Whitfield and Blake Escavaze. They both displayed their well-toned bodies for bids up to $100.
The winners of the auction won a date with their respective firemen to New Orleans Hamburgers and Seafood Co.
All proceeds from the calendar as well as the auction will be donated to Relay for Life.
