Most who hang around this forum know that I'm an avid Barbecue Contester, primarily with the Kansas City Barbecue Society and some of its offshoots and relations, and that I write a column in the Bullsheet, its newspaper. I'm also one of a couple of dozen "Doctors" of BBQ commissioned as ambassadors and instigators of goodwill for all who like to hang out in the smoke. The "institution" that is the love of barbecue is much larger than just one organization, though. It's a growing chunk of humanity and anyone who posts, responds, or even lurks here is potentially afflicted with the wonderful disease that I call Barbecue Fever.
On my rounds, I most often write and elucidate on barbecue topics that are technical, background/historical, and often humorous. Every now and then, though, I get serious. This post is serious. There are some folks out there with Barbecue Fever who need a huge pat on the back and maybe even a little help if you'd like to. No strings attached. Here's my November, 2018 Bullsheet column. This is for you. Yes, you. Hanging out in the smoke. You may not know how special you are among the multitudes. Consider yourself "one of us" when you read this. You do not have to be a KCBS member at all and it isn't a membership solicitation. It is a "thank you" to those who donate and serve and a welcome to any and all who want to in the future. Barbecue People Are the Finest People In The World!
by
Gordon Hubbell, Ph.B.
Over the years I have written praise for a lot of the spirit and sportsmanship that is competition barbecue and the folks who gather in the smoke on Saturdays. Yes, it is great fun but there’s something a lot deeper and more meaningful about doing what we do than just a hobby. It is time again to attempt to break my arm by giving “us” a pat on the back.
Several events have transpired and perhaps conspired to make me aware, again, of the very special nature of our organization and the people who populate it. Passing through life as we do, most of us wind up as members of quite a few groups – our families first, of course – then expanding outward somewhat like ripples on a pond. Most of these groups are just passages for one reason on another but, for some of us, one group grabs our hearts and minds. Why does that happen?
As I write this, clean-up and reconstruction efforts are now well underway for a broad chunk of the Carolina coast following hurricane Florence. The same efforts are just now getting started for the Florida panhandle and nearby environs as hurricane Michael tears on north, re-soaking parts of what Florence already trampled. The suffering has been great but so has the humanitarian effort of a group of “us”. As a resident of a part of the southeastern United States blessedly not much impacted by these two storms, I can see their destruction in my “backyard” and thank God that I am at worst, just inconvenienced.
The group of “us” in my heart and thoughts is Operation BBQ Relief, of course. Founded seven years ago to fill a niche that was always problematical for larger, slower moving help organizations – feeding the victims and volunteers in a disaster area – OBR has grown in capability and garnered respect from thousands who have benefitted from its touch. It is not just an outgrowth of our hobby, fellow KCBS members, it is an outgrowth of our hearts.
Who but a concerned “cooker” would even think about a second life of service for all the gear we pack away in trailers and sheds between contests? Who but an organization built around fun would dedicate so much to restoration when the fun is interrupted or impossible? Who but big hearts from the heartland would drop everything and run off for weeks at a time to help strangers pull themselves up by just doing what we love to do?
Do not feel separate and apart from those doing the work in Wilmington or Panama City today or those who will be giving of themselves in the future work of Operation BBQ Relief. Far from it. Remember they are “us” in two ways that easily involve any of our number. First, send a donation. Second, consider volunteering.
Donations are easy. The easiest is to just go to “operationbbqrelief.org” on the Internet and click on the donations section. While you’re there, read though the history and mission of the organization if you aren’t already familiar with it. If you like to follow events on social media, OBR also has a lot of supporters there. I keep up with them (and several friends who are active volunteers) on Facebook where they also have a page with donation capability. No Internet? Just send a check to Operation BBQ Relief, Box 3825, Shawnee, KS 66203.
Have some flexibility and time to help with more than just dollars? Volunteers are always welcome. Opportunities are situational, of course, but one needn’t be a prize-winning cook, nor have deep credentials or experience to help out by time and labor at an OBR outreach. Rewards await any and all who understand how to pitch in (read all about it at the website first).
I’ve observed first-hand in the cook camps at contests, competitors helping each other out because good sense and fellowship are just as important as prizes and good food. I’ve seen friendships and camaraderie bloom in the judges’ room, too because it isn’t just about eating and rating the results. I’ve been to Cook’s Church on a Saturday at dawn and felt the touch of that special something those gatherings give our group. I’ve watched Operation BBQ Relief come out of this spirit. Just like the basic goodness of the folks that get together in the smoke on Saturdays, they spread our goodwill and love of something bigger than all of “us”.
Because it feels so good to say it, I’ll say it again: “Barbecue people are the finest people in the world.” I’m not bragging. I’m reporting a basic truth.
