When UPROXX and Coors Banquet teamed up to create the Warriors of the West docuseries, they knew how important it was to capture the harrowing lives of wildland firefighters. These chosen few put their lives on the line to protect wildlands, natural resources, and American citizens from the ravages of wildfires. But the two partnering brands also knew that at the heart of this project is a connection to the broader community surrounding wildland firefighters. That’s why they held a special screening of the docuseries in Boise, Idaho — the home of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF), which offers financial support to wildland firefighters and their families when they’re injured or killed in the line of duty.
At the event, the filmmakers who shined a light on this community gathered with members of the WFF and wildland firefighting families to celebrate the series. Doug Sheehy was there, the father of Luke Sheehy, a smokejumper who died in the line of duty. Vicki Minor, the co-founder of the WFF, was also in attendance.
Before the premiere, guests mingled, laughed, shared stories, and slapped one another on the back. In a room overwhelmed by the hum of conversation, Minor said of her work for WFF, “I don’t think I could have ever found such rewarding work to do as to help these wildland firefighters and their families and to have Coors Banquet back us.”
After guests filtered into the auditorium to watch the five-part series, director Matt Livadary introduced the project by saying: “I had the distinct pleasure of directing what you’re about to see tonight, but I was one of many, many people who made this massively ambitious product happen.” His words offered a clear reminder that at the heart of this story is one central idea: community.
The series premieres on UPROXX on May 21st. You can watch the full trailer here.
Coors Banquet is in its sixth year of supporting the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, donating over $1.5 million dollars to the foundation. Click the donate button on this page if you’d like to help protect our west by supporting the WFF.
