Community Cancer Fund BBQ for Cancer volunteers endure rain for sell-out event

Friday, September 27, 2024
Pictured above are volunteers of this year’s Community Cancer Fund BBQ for a Cure. The event sold out, raising roughly $26K in gross proceeds.
Photos/ Rachel Townsend

RACHEL TOWNSEND

Managing Editor

The 39th Annual BBQ for Cancer was a sold-out event! Despite heavy rains from Hurricane Helene, Community Cancer Fund leadership weathered the storm to sell 180 butts and 115 sticks of bologna.

While the event was initially set to be held at the downtown Pocket Park, volunteers relocated efforts to the downtown Dyersburg Storm Shelter and were busy Friday morning, September 27, packing up food bags for delivery to local businesses.

Community Cancer Fund Director Beverly Glidewell and board member Barbara Gatlin said the sausage sale, held last Friday, September 20, raised roughly $14K in funds, with 8,000 lbs. of sausage made available for purchase from Tyson Foods.

Glidewell and Gatlin say they expect gross sales from pre-sale and pickup for the BBQ to be roughly $12K, for a total of $26K before expenses.

Pictured above, volunteers at the downtown Dyersburg Storm Shelter prepare meals for delivery to local businesses.
Photos/ Rachel Townsend

Due to weather conditions, cookers were staged at the Farmers Market. Volunteers including Chad Hamilton, Dyersburg Mayor John Holden, Dan Fowlkes Sr., Brett Sipes, Mark Moore, and Scotty Hollis were all on-site Friday preparing meat for delivery to the Storm Shelter. Fowlkes said the Farmers Market provided ample protection from rain showers.

Chad Hamilton, an employee with Tyson Foods and avid supporter of the Community Cancer Fund, has been cooking for the annual BBQ for Cancer for 26 years. At noon on Friday, the group of volunteers were still preparing meats for the sale. Fowlkes said many of the volunteers preparing meat had been there since 7 p.m. Thursday night.

(L-R): Chad Hamilton, Dan Fowlkes Sr., Jeff Jones, Brett Sipes, and Scotty Hollis are seen together at the Farmers Market where meats were prepared for this year’s BBQ for a Cure.
Photos/ Rachel Townsend
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