By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorFinal preparations are being made for one of the largest fundraising events in the county.The fifth annual Warren County BackStoppers Dinner Dance will be held this Saturday, Feb. 21, at the St. Ignatius Community Center in Concord Hill.Organizers said all 400 tickets that were available have been sold.“I think we are pretty much ready,” said Marthasville Fire Chief Jeff Backhaus, who helps organize the event with other emergency service agencies. “We will set up Friday night and have everything ready to go for Saturday. I can’t express enough thanks to the community and how generous they are. People believe in our organization with the outpouring of support we receive. It is amazing.”The fundraising event will include a buffet-style dinner from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and a dance featuring the band Phase Five from 9 p.m.-midnight. A silent auction will be held from 5-7:30 p.m., with an oral auction to follow from 8-9 p.m.Doors open at 5 p.m. Backhaus encourages attendees to get their early and view the more than 200 auction items that will be on display.Some of the auction items include guns, St. Louis Cardinals tickets, custom-made Cardinals fire pit, quilt, pedal tractor, party bus trip to Fast Eddie’s, gift baskets and gift certificates.“We have had an unbelievable response on donations this year, even as far as cash and advertising in the program book,” Backhaus said. “It’s been tremendous.”BackStoppers provides support and financial assistance to the spouses and children of local and county police officers, firefighters, publicly funded paramedics and EMTs who have lost their lives in the line of duty.The assistance includes paying for school, a family’s mortgage, health and dental insurance coverage, and college tuition. The organization assists families in 13 counties in Missouri, including Warren and Franklin, and five in Illinois.Backhaus said this year’s fundraising goal is $60,000, the same amount that was raised last year. When the local BackStoppers group was formed in 2011, the inaugural dinner dance brought in $15,000 and the amount has steadily increased each year thereafter.“The support has been there from everybody,” Backhaus said.Three families with Warren County ties are benefiting from the BackStoppers organization.Paul Fricke, a Warren County deputy and Hawk Point police chief, was killed Aug. 27, 2010, while on duty. He was driving south on Highway 47 exiting Hawk Point when he lost control of his police cruiser and struck a utility pole.Lonnie Cole, who was killed in October 2003, was a deputy with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department.In October 2002, Truesdale police officer Vernon Seals was killed after being struck by a vehicle that was being chased by other officers on Interstate 70.Final preparations made for BackStoppers event