ST. LOUIS — Guns 'N Hoses didn't rip off the roof at Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis.
However, on this Thanksgiving Eve, the long-awaited tradition attracted a huge and rowdy crowd of all ages, ready to see local police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders duke it out for a good cause.
"I'm extremely excited," said one 8-year-old boy.
"It's super fun to watch," said another ecstatic boy.
"The whole charity thing is just cool. It's so entertaining," said Elijah Fisher.
For the past 37 years, courageous cops and fearless firefighters who put their lives on the line every day pause for one night only to face off in a series of fights in the ring.
The Blue Team and the Red Team go round and round to raise lots of money for The BackStoppers, Inc.
"It's fantastic for us to do this for as long as we have," said Lawrence O'Toole, the incoming executive director for The BackStoppers.
The committed charity supports the families of fallen or injured first responders.
Since 1959, BackStoppers has rallied around 200 area families,
"I think what keeps it going is our community. We have a very generous community here. They love their first responders," added O'Toole.
St. Louis Police Officer David Lee was among the men in blue honored on this special night.
In September, the 44-year-old officer, husband and father was killed while putting down flares at the scene of a car crash that injured an off-duty Ferguson firefighter.
"I think that's pretty cool that they honored him. It's nice to see," said one Budweiser Guns 'N Hoses fan.
A St. Louis tradition forever strong for its frontline heroes and even canine cops who lost their lives serving their community.
Currently The BackStoppers is caring for 95 families with 70 dependent kids.
Each year, the organization spends $2.5 million on area families.
In the past three years, the charity has raised $3 million to provide ongoing financial assistance and support to the spouses and children of police officers, firefighters and other first responders who have lost their lives or suffered a catastrophic injury in the line of duty.