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Potluck dinner held for High Chateau Fire evacuees, community

Posted at 11:59 PM, Jul 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-03 01:59:50-04

Evacuees of the High Chateau Fire are continuing to receive support from people all over Teller County. 

On Monday night a dinner was held at Cresson Elementary School in Cripple Creek welcoming not just evacuees, but the entire community as well.

News 5 learned from a volunteer at the dinner that the event came together last minute. Word got out via social media and soon everyone was making food, wanting to help evacuees who are uncertain of what’s to come.

Ryan Schramm said, "It’s stressful, don’t know when we’ll get to go home."

It was Saturday night when Ryan and Sandy Schramm were forced from their rural cabin in Teller County as the smoke and flames from the High Chateau Fire crept in on their property. 

The couple said, "A lot of thoughts race through your mind that you don’t have any answers for. Don’t know if there will be anything for us when we get back."

While so much remains uncertain there’s been a constant throughout this entire ordeal.

Ryan Schramm said, "The community’s been great. They’ve been taking care of everybody that is without a place to live."

The community has also been feeding evacuees. The Schramms describe Monday’s potluck as "a Thanksgiving dinner…they had everything in there pretty much…salads, porkloin, more salads, sloppy joes, chili."

Volunteer Laura Caudill said, "It’s a gathering spot for people to meet and stand strong together."

"It’s just something that we can provide for them to maybe give them a little bit of peace," said fellow volunteer Shannon Andersen.

For the Schramms, having a dinner like this "makes you feel like you at least got a chance."

Volunteers say another community dinner will be happening at Cresson Elementary School on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. 

If you’d like to help evacuees donations of blankets and pillow are needed. Those items can be dropped off at the Red Cross center at Cripple Creek High School. There is also a donation account at Park State Bank.