BLUE ASH, Ohio -- Firehouse Grill and Old Firehouse Brewery held a fundraiser Thursday evening for Patrick Wolterman, a Hamilton firefighter killed in the line of duty late last year.
Both the restaurant in Blue Ash and the brewery in Williamsburg were founded by former firefighters. The day after Wolterman died, they decided to hold a fundraiser for his family.
Unfortunately, they said, it's the third time Old Firehouse has been part of such an event in the past year.
"If I would have been hurt or God forbid killed, I would hope that someone would do this for my family," Adam Cowan of Old Firehouse Brewery said. Firefighters typically aren't the best-paid guys, so talk about a labor of love -- you do it because you love the job."
For every pint of Old Firehouse poured Thursday night, the men donated $3 to Wolterman's family.
Wolterman, 28, died when he fell through the floor of a home on Pater Avenue as he responded to a fire there Dec. 28. Officials were alerted to the fire by a triggered burglary alarm: When police arrived at the home, they found heavy smoke pouring out of the two-story building.
The Ohio Fire Marshal ruled that arson led to the fire, and Hamilton police have vowed to find Wolterman's killer. A reward for information in the case stands at $25,000.
