Slidell First Responders Hosting Fried Fish Fundraiser Today For Fallen Heroes

Local first responders are inviting the community to skip their usual lunch plans today and help support the families of fallen first responders during a special fundraiser in Slidell.

The Gulf Coast Brotherhood Ride fundraiser lunch is being held today, Friday, September 18, at the Slidell Auditorium parking lot. The event is set up as a drive thru, allowing residents to pick up a meal without leaving their vehicles.

Lunch plates are $12 and include fried fish, jambalaya, green beans, a roll and dessert. Cash will be accepted, and organizers are also allowing people to preorder and pay through Venmo.

Drivers should enter the Slidell Auditorium parking lot from Second Street, follow the designated drive thru route and exit onto Sgt. Alfred Drive.

The fundraiser is benefiting the Gulf Coast Brotherhood Ride, an organization dedicated to honoring fallen first responders and supporting the families they leave behind.

According to organizers, 100 percent of the proceeds from the lunch fundraiser will go directly to the families of fallen first responders through the Brotherhood Ride.

Each year, the Gulf Coast Brotherhood Ride honors first responders who died while serving their communities. This year’s ride will recognize 15 fallen heroes, including three with ties to the local St. Tammany Parish community.

Among those being honored is Sergeant Grant J. Candies of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Captain Michael Allen Ford Sr. of St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 will also be honored, along with Officer Erik T. S. Kreppein of St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1.

The annual Brotherhood Ride is about more than remembering the names of those who served. It also provides direct support to their families while bringing first responders and communities together to recognize the sacrifices made by police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel.

Today’s fundraiser gives local residents a simple way to participate. For $12, supporters can pick up lunch while helping raise money that will directly benefit families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is also encouraging residents to stop by, grab a plate and support the fundraiser.

The fundraiser is taking place today at the Slidell Auditorium parking lot. Residents are encouraged to come hungry, support the Gulf Coast Brotherhood Ride and help honor the fallen first responders being remembered this year.