Daddy Bruce Legacy Lives On

When a community draws together, amazing events and connections can occur. The Saturday before Thanksgiving – just a month after having no funding in sight – the Epworth Foundation orchestrated the delivery of 5,272 baskets to needy families for the annual Feed-A-Family event.

Six hundred volunteers, some arriving at midnight to work through the night, braved the ice and cold to fill the baskets with food for a hearty Thanksgiving meal. Among the dedicated volunteers were Mayor Michael Hancock, Rep Angela Williams, Beth McCann, Chief Robert White, Sheriff Patrick Firman, EMTs, sheriff cadets, and correctional facility inmates on work release. A record number of youth volunteers also came out to lend a helping hand.

All of this outpouring of support was in the spirit and part of the legacy of Daddy Bruce Randolph – a giving man from Arkansas with a third-grade education and two honorary university doctorate degrees.

After a community plea following the loss of a key sponsor, the annual Feed-A-Family gained powerful new sponsors including United Airlines and Charles Schwab. 

Rev. Ronald Wooding, one of the organizers, has even more reason to be grateful this year. His documentary, a 13-year labor of love on Daddy Bruce entitled Keep A Light in Your Window, was screened last month at the Sie FilmCenter in Denver, with the goal of having it be a part of the Denver Film Festival in November 2016. 

A collaborative effort with Director Elgin Cahill, the film chronicles the life and meaning of Daddy Bruce Randolph —a humanitarian nominated for a congressional medal of honor who fed thousands of people in need over his lifetime.