SOUTH FORK — Two Rivers BBQ Restaurant, Coffeehouse and Tavern recently held a fundraiser for a local resident in honor of breast cancer awareness month and were able to raise an astounding $10,606 for Jamie Black.

Black has been a resident in the area for several years working to help the community as a Visiting Angel, a CAN for local nursing homes and now works in the radiology department at the Rio Grande Hospital as well as on the Del Norte Ambulance team. Black has spent countless hours helping those in need and with the help of several businesses and private donors, Two Rivers was able to give back to Black to help in her fight with cancer.

“We have wanted to do this for many years. It was one of our goals when we opened the restaurant in 2017 and we have just now gotten to a point where we could start giving back to the community,” said co-owner Linette Schmidt.

The first thing someone notices about walking in the doors of Two Rivers BBQ in South Fork is the delicious aroma of smoked meats, barbecue sauce and a sweet tang of homemade desserts. The wood floors gleam with a rich shine, while a wood stove heats the room in the corner adding a sense of comfort to the open dining area. A noisy kitchen, full of the sounds of clashing metal pans, the sizzle of entrees on the grill and waitstaff calling out orders only add to the ambiance.

Owner Tyler Schmidt and his wife Linette both worked in law enforcement and public service before setting out to achieve a longtime dream of theirs of opening a restaurant. “With everything happening in law enforcement during that time, we realized it was now or never. So, we cashed in my pension and opened this place,” said Schmidt as he looked around his dining room.

Schmidt comes from a long line of meat smiths that dates back almost 80 years. Armed with old family recipes, he and his wife took a chance and started experimenting with different and unique barbecue entrees, Americano cuisine and homemade desserts.

The night was a huge success with several donated items being auctioned off to raise funding for Black and her family. Owner Tyler Schmidt made a video to recap the event giving his thanks for the generous donations. “I just want to say thanks to everyone that came from South Fork, Del Norte and the entire San Luis Valley. You turned out in force that night and that was really what we started this company for; to help people out and give back where we are able to give back.”

A homemade quilt was donated for the event and that item alone raised just over $5,000 after being sold for $710 with bid matches of $500 from various donors and the Schmidt’s raising the total to $5,000. A huge thank you goes out to all that attended, donated monetarily and donated items for the auction. Tyler and his wife Linette plan to continue to host other fundraising events for families in need in the future.