By Kayla Evans
for the Opelika Observer
The Auburn BBQ/Grill Association is hosting an event to cook for the people at His Place and Hosanna Home. They are also planning to make meals for Auburn and Opelika first responders.
The event is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2021, and they are preparing 220 boxed meals to be delivered to the recipients.
Each volunteer has the opportunity to cook from home and drop the meals off at a designated location. Pickup for the meats, sides and seasoning will be on Jan. 29 from 5 to 5:30 p.m. The meals are expected to be finished and dropped off between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 30.
Deliveries begin at 4:30 p.m., and the Hosanna House and His Place will be ready for delivery at 5 p.m. A large smoker will also be on site to keep the food warm.
As volunteers drop off food, they pick up boxed meals and take them to first responders. There will also be runners on standby.
The menu will consist of pulled pork, boneless and skinless chicken thighs, baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw.
A Genius link was created for volunteers to sign up (www.signupgenius.com/go/4090945abab2fa3fc1-january). The event will follow COVID-19 safety protocols, and masks will be required for pick-up and drop-off.
Mike McGlynn, the Auburn BBQ/Grill Association group creator, contacted well known barbecuers around the state and local businesses to donate supplies to assist with the event.
All food and materials were donated through generous donations thanks to Mac and Art Watson with Watson Brothers Outdoors, Hunter Smith with All-State, Wayne Hinton with Performance Food Group, Brian McCollum and BMcSquared LLC, Kellianne Orvin of Sids Sure Shot, Malcom Reed from Killer Hogs, Bryan Reynolds with Canvas Home Inspection and Bobby Royster.
“This wouldn’t have happened without some of the people in the local community that have given financially as well as donating products,” McGlynn said.
The Auburn BBQ/Grill Association group page was created by McGlynn in February 2020 and now has over 1,000 members.
“My idea was to try to expose more people to what is out there and in the local area as well as the state and the region,” McGlynn said. “I’m trying to make people a little more knowledgeable of barbecue competitions going on in the area and different cooking classes.”
The Auburn BBQ/Grill Association has done some events in the past to give back to Alabama.
“We’ve done some events where we’ve designated a month,” McGlynn said. “We call it giving back to Alabama. It is a month of trying to expose more products that are made right here in Alabama. We were actually giving the products away to people that were in need that are in the group.”
McGlynn and the group are planning to do more events in the future and continue to give back to Alabama.