RTD gives thanks for Denver restaurateur, humanitarian and community benefactor “Daddy” Bruce Randolph

During Thanksgiving, RTD remembers Bruce Randolph (1900-1994), better known as “Daddy Bruce,” who was hailed for his selflessness and concern for the well-being of others. For over 25 years, Daddy Bruce served a free, annual Thanksgiving dinner for people in Denver who were homeless or disadvantaged.

Daddy Bruce began his famous tradition using his own time and money in the 1960s in Denver’s City Park, where he set up his portable grill and served Thanksgiving dinner to 200 people.

He later moved the event to the Five Points area of Denver where he owned a barbecue restaurant, and the annual feast grew in popularity. By the mid-1980s, the event had expanded to accommodate thousands of people, who lined up outside his barbecue restaurant for a free Thanksgiving meal.

Citing his example of living for the sake of others, U.S. Representative Patricia Schroeder, nominated Daddy Bruce in 1986 for the humanitarian congressional medal of honor.

Following Randolph’s death in 1994 at the age of 94, the Epworth Foundation carried on his legacy with Denver Feed-A-Family. The annual event, one of the largest projects of its kind in the nation, provides gift boxes that feed a family of 8.

Daddy Bruce is one of more than 100 Coloradans featured in the Owens Hickenlooper Leadership Gallery, “What’s Your Story” exhibit at the History Colorado Center. The “What’s Your Story” exhibit empowers visitors to see themselves alongside generations of Coloradans who have made an impact in communities throughout the state and across the nation.