b'COMMUNITYHappy Birthday to the Late Daddy Bruce, Sr.By Sheila Smith HistoryofColoradoCenterwhereDaddyBruceis featured as one of the 101 Coloradans in the new Owens Hickenlooper Gallery; Blair Caldwell African H adhelived,hewouldhaveturned120yearsAmericanResearchLibrarywhereDaddyBruceis old last month. People have talked about Daddyamong other African American leaders on a painted Bruce Randolph for yearsfrom feeding the home- mural on the front desk area of the library; Teachers less, giving out Thanksgiving baskets filled with food,Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) is a big along with a street and school bearing his name. supporteroftheBruceRandolphSchool;Winston Itsashame,however,thattheschoolwasnotWalkerhasbeenalong-timesupporterofthe packed with people to help celebrate Daddy BrucesDaddyBruceRandolphLegacyFoundation;Sarah 120th birthday on February 15. Kolzenberg who passes out lit-eratureoncancertoinform Thecelebrationincludedothers during the Daddy Bruce honoringthelegacyofDaddyRandolphThanksgivingFood Bruce and photo gallery of pic- Distribution; Kate Greeley has tures of the man himself. volunteered on an annual basis PastorHollisBookerwel- helping with the Daddy Bruce comedeveryonetotheeventRandolphThanksgivingFood andBishopJerryDemmer,Distribution;andKTsBBQ president of the Greater Denverthatcontinuestosupportthe MinisterialAlliance,presidedBruce Randolph School.as the Master of Ceremonies. Rev.Woodensaidthefirst Aninvocationandpraisetime he heard about the Daddy song was done by Pastor FrankBruce was when he was head-Jonesandwife,Evangelisting to church and saw all the Tywanna Jones. tents lined up along the street on a Saturday morning. He was More inspirational music wastolditwaspartoftheDaddy done by Jackie Weaver Perkins,BruceRandolphThanksgiving as she sang, Keep A Light inevent.Your Window. He had just moved to Denver Daddy Bruce Randolph was aDaddy Bruce Randolph in 1995 and Daddy Bruce had legend during his time. He wasdied in 1994.inhis50swhenhecametoRev. Wooden found a house that had been remod-Denver back in the 1950s. He died in 1994.eled near the church. Yet, unbeknownst to him, It Growing up in Arkansas, Daddy Bruce learned awas a three-bedroom house, two baths. I told her lot from his grandmother, who was an ex-slave. She(the realtor), I will take it. I didnt know then that was the one who past down that family secret recipethe house was part of Daddy Bruces restaurant, he for barbeque sauce. said. The spirit must have got me. Then I started When Daddy Bruce arrived in Denver, he openedmeeting with the neighbors who would tell me stories uphisfirstbarbequerestaurantoffofSteeleandabout Daddy Bruce. I thought this is real history.34th streets. Thereverendmadesurepeoplehaventforgot By 1963, Daddy Bruce had already fed 30,000 toDaddy Bruces legacy, which includes putting togeth-40,000 people on Thanksgiving by providing themer a documentary film, spearheading the photo gal-withturkeysandfoodbaskets,claimedRev.Ronleryattheschoolandraisingmoneythroughthe Wooden, who is part of the Daddy Bruce RandolphFoundationtocontinuefeedingthoseinneedon Foundation and spearheaded the photo gallery andThanksgiving.celebration at the school. Rev.DemmerremembersbeingaroundDaddy Daddy Bruces reputation grew as a humanitarianBruce when he was alive and how much he did for in always giving back to others. the community.ColoradoStateRep.JamesColemanattendedIt did not matter if you had money or not. People theDaddyBrucebirthdaycelebrationandreadawould walk up to Daddy Bruce or to the restaurant proclamationsignedbyGovernorJaredPolis.Itandsimplysay,Iamhungry,andDaddyBruce stated each year moving forward that the month ofwould feed them.November would be considered Feed a Family MonthOf course, there will never be another Daddy Bruce in honor of Daddy Bruce Randolph. Randolph. Also, during the celebration others were honoredHe maybegone,buthopefully who exhibited characteristics of what Daddy Bruceformanymoreyearstocome, stood for.celebrations will go on to keep his Those recipients included: Ed Dwight, sculpture;light shining.Adrienne Norris for her creative artistic endeavors; 8 MARCH 2020 BOCNEWS.com'