Bubba\u2019s 33 in Killeen will offer free meal vouchers to veterans and active military before hosting a fundraiser for four firefighters battling cancer.<\/p>\n
KILLEEN, Texas \u2014 Bubba\u2019s 33 in Killeen is giving back to those who serve the community by hosting two events next week: one supporting veterans on Nov. 11 and another raising money for four firefighters battling cancer on Nov. 12.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never know how much they’re protecting us,\u201d said Philip Severson, managing partner of Bubba\u2019s 33. \u201cThis is a small way to take care of them when they need it the most as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the restaurant will offer complimentary meal vouchers to veterans and active-duty military members from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Severson said the annual tradition is especially meaningful in Killeen, where the military community plays a major role. Over the years, the restaurant has served more than 5,000 guests through its Veterans Day meal program, with participation continuing to grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s just a small way of saying thank you, and it’s certainly not enough, but it’s at least something that we offer,\u201d Severson said.<\/p>\n
The following day, Nov. 12, Bubba\u2019s 33 will partner with the Killeen Professional Firefighters Association Local 2505 to raise money for four firefighters battling cancer.<\/p>\n
Killeen Fire Chief James Kubinski said the fundraiser is intended to help firefighters and their families manage the financial burden that can come with a serious diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one way for our association, Killeen Professional Firefighters Association Local Number 2505, to be able to assist and offset those costs anywhere possible in helping our members,\u201d Kubinski said. \u201cWhether it be a firefighter here or anywhere else, [we want them to] have less of a burden to shoulder when they’re trying to fight for their life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kubinski explained that firefighters face health risks from exposure to hazardous materials inside burning buildings.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirefighters run into the buildings when everyone else is running out,\u201d Kubinski said. \u201cWhat we found out over the last 30 and 40 years is that those things that are burning inside of the building have become very dangerous to our health and our wellness.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the city provides insurance coverage, Kubinski said a cancer diagnosis can bring expenses that go beyond what insurance covers.<\/p>\n
One of the firefighters benefiting from the fundraiser is Joey Kopp, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at a young age. Kopp recently underwent surgery to remove a tumor located near his heart.<\/p>\n
Bradley Jansen, president of the Killeen Professional Firefighters Association, said Kopp’s situation highlights why additional financial support is needed. Because Kopp’s cancer is not considered a presumptive cancer, he is paying out of pocket for his medical care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe things that we’re exposed to with firefighting, it’s probably caused by that, so we’re trying to take the fight to the state to get this covered,\u201d Jansen said. \u201cBut in the meantime, he’s got bills that have to be covered.\u201d<\/p>\n
The money raised through the fundraiser will go directly toward helping the four firefighters and their families. Any remaining funds will stay in the Local 2505 Benevolence Fund to support firefighters facing hardships in the future.<\/p>\n
Jansen said the association expects the need for that support to continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, with our line of business, we’re going to have more people in need. More people get injured, more people get cancer,\u201d Jansen said. \u201cCardiac problems are the leading cause of issues with firefighters, so we’re going to have to keep this going and keep providing for our own guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kubinski said the community’s support can help firefighters who spend their lives protecting others.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet’s give some support back to those who are gone 24 hours a day, every third day away from their families, ensuring that the public is safe, that any issue that they experience is managed, handled, and so that our citizens can go on and go about their day in a normal way,\u201d Kubinski said.<\/p>\n
The organizers are encouraging the Killeen community to attend the fundraiser, show their support and connect with local firefighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is just one ask, one small little ask to come out on the day of our event, hang out at Bubba’s, and more importantly, just have a conversation with some of our firefighters,\u201d Jansen said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bubba\u2019s 33 in Killeen will offer free meal vouchers to veterans and active military before hosting a fundraiser for four firefighters battling cancer. KILLEEN, Texas \u2014 Bubba\u2019s 33 in Killeen is giving back to those who serve the community by hosting two events next week: one supporting veterans on Nov. 11 and another raising money<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52146,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7,8],"class_list":["post-52145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-restaurants","tag-restaurant","tag-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117562123471826499","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}