Organizers of the annual BackStoppers fundraiser in Warren County have canceled their 2021 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BackStoppers collects money to support the families of first …
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Organizers of the annual BackStoppers fundraiser in Warren County have canceled their 2021 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BackStoppers collects money to support the families of first responders killed or injured in the line of duty. Warren County is normally one of the most successful fundraising venues for the St. Louis-based nonprofit. But organizers called off their upcoming Feb. 20 event, saying the presence of the virus creates too great a risk.
“We feel for the safety of the community, it is in our best interest at this time to wait on having our event,” the Warren County BackStoppers Committee said in their cancellation announcement.
Jeff Backhaus, chairman of Warren County BackStoppers Committee, said the venue normally used for the annual dinner, auction and dance to raise money would not be available this year due to COVID. The venue, St. Ignatius Community Center, is one of the only in the county that can accommodate the hundreds of BackStoppers attendees each year.
Despite losing their fundraiser, the need for the BackStoppers mission has not diminished, said Backhaus. Families of multiple police, fire and ambulance crew members in the St. Louis region have been added to the organization’s support network over the last year.
The Warren County committee is asking anyone who wants to support BackStoppers in 2021 to mail a monetary donation to the committee. Donations should be mailed to Warren County Backstoppers, P.O. Box 174, Marthasville, MO 63357.
“We are looking at possibly some other type of event, but at this point we really don’t know what we’re going to do,” Backhaus said. “If something comes about that sounds like a perfect idea, we’ll pursue it. If not, we’ll wait until 2022.”
For the time being, Backhaus said the BackStoppers organization as a whole is financially stable. He said the organization invests its fundraising to secure future revenue for first responder families.
“But as always, the need is there to make sure we don’t run out,” Backhaus commented.
“We definitely appreciate everybody’s support in the past. We’ll be back, and hopefully they’ll come back, too,” Backhaus added.
For those looking for additional ways to support BackStoppers, the organization’s website (backstoppers.org) has an online store, and also has a link to sign up as a contributing member.
For additional information, email wcbackstoppers@gmail.com.
