All it takes is one person to make something big happen.

General manager Jeff Messinger commenced a weekend of giving at Black Rock Marina and Shooters Bar and Grill when he began encouraging guests to donate to support the families of the firefighters killed and injured in the June 29 incident at Canfield Mountain.

With help Sunday from Worley Fire District Chief Scott Campos and his team manning a "fill the boot" campaign, a whole lot of support — and funds — came flooding in.

"We ended up garnering $27,000 from our community that way," Messinger said Tuesday. "It was unbelievable."

The generosity didn't stop there. 

Messinger "threw together a silly makeshift auction" in which bidders could win Shooters reservations, private at-home chef sessions or vintage "Emergency!" TV show lunchboxes signed by Coeur d'Alene Fire and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue crews.

"Those two lunchboxes went for $39,000," Messinger said. "They gave them back to me. I was bawling."

The two private chef dinners brought in $34,000.

"It's the craziest thing I've ever seen," Messinger said.

The auction alone brought in about $150,000, which Messinger discussed in disbelief.

"I simply brought the bucket," he said. "The community is what filled it up."

Messinger said donations will be going through the Red and Blue Foundation and JW Memorial Foundation.

Both are nonprofits that provide support to families of first responders who are injured or killed in the line of duty.

Messinger said this show of kindness gave him pause to recognize what it means to live in North Idaho.

“If you want to move to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, if you think this is where you want to live, know there is an expectation to show up and give," he said. "We are paying the dues to be able to live here by showing up and supporting these causes."

The red and blue support continues to manifest in myriad ways. Businesses and community members are opening their hearts and pocketbooks for the families of fallen Coeur d’Alene Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, who were shot and killed in an ambush attack while responding to an intentionally set fire, and Coeur d’Alene Fire Department engineer David Tysdal, who was shot during the attack and remains hospitalized.

All sales from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Cascadia Pizza Co.'s brick-and-mortar stores — 1422 W. Appleway Ave., Coeur d'Alene and 8083 W. Main St., Rathdrum — will be donated to the families through the Red and Blue Foundation. Guests who order online will also be able to donate through the website, cascadiapizzaco.com.

"If we can raise up to $20,000 in one day, that's huge to me," Cascadia owner Raffi Peltekian said. "I love to give to our community. That’s our No. 1 thing. We opened businesses here in North Idaho because we wanted to give back to the community we love."

He said Cascadia recently fed local firefighters during an appreciation lunch when he interacted with many local heroes, including those who were killed or hurt in the tragedy.

"It's just really heavy on all of our hearts," Peltekian said. "This is literally the least we can do."

The North Idaho Building Contractors Association will host the United We Stand barbecue fundraiser at 6 p.m. Thursday at the NIBCA office, 1928 N. Fourth St., Coeur d'Alene. Plates will be $10 each; 100% of proceeds will go to the families through the Red and Blue Foundation. Guests are encouraged to visit eventbrite.com to RSVP. The Fleetwood Mac tribute band Paper Flowers will provide live music.

The Coeur d'Alene High School Class of 2015 reached its goal of raising $2,015 to support the families of the firefighters. It raised $2,065 for the Red and Blue Foundation via gofundme.com as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Hayden Chamber has put out a call to action to its members and community to donate gift items and certificates for an auction that will be held from 2 to 10 p.m. July 27 during "A Community Rises Up," a day of concerts to promote community healing and support the families through the Red and Blue Foundation. The event will be at Stateline Speedway, 1349 Beck Road, Post Falls, in partnership with Nashville North. Tickets can be bought at statelinespeedway.ticketgoat.com, general admission starts at $25.

• • •

Send information about fundraising, support, compassion and community strength following the Canfield Mountain tragedy to Devin Weeks, [email protected].

    Matt Backs serves as the surprise auctioneer Sunday at Shooters Bar and Grill, where $27,000 was raised through a "fill the boot" campaign over the weekend and another $150,000 brought in through the auction. All funds will support the families of the firefighters killed and injured June 29 in the Canfield Mountain shooting and fire.