Organizers hope first ever BBQ fundraiser will be ‘well done’

RANDOLPH — The Randolph Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department is cooking up its first ever fundraising competition and hoping the results are ‘pork-fection.’

The “BBQ to the Res-Q” event is set for Saturday, Aug. 21 at the Randolph Area Veterans Memorial Park.

The event has been two years in the making as the COVID-19 pandemic forced a hiatus on many community gatherings, said Tony Backer, Randolph Rescue Captain.

Saturday’s events will kick off fundraising for a new ambulance.

“Usually when we go to purchase a new ambulance we do a little bit of fundraising and finance the rest. This (event) is getting us a start,” Backer said.

A new ambulance costs about $250,000.

Since the department has never hosted a barbecue competition, they looked for help and answers from the Midwest Barbecue Association. The event will follow the association’s guidelines and rules.

Competitors - individuals or teams of up to four people - can register at 7 a.m. and start cooking at 8 a.m. The fee to compete is $75 and includes three different meats to cook - pork ribs, pork butt and chicken thighs. Firefighters and possibly a guest judge or two will decide on who will bring home the bacon with first, second and third place winners in each meat category awarded cash prizes, Backer said.

Those cooking will be given access to electricity at the park but need to provide their own tent (if they want one) and whatever apparatus they plan to use to cook.

Meal and drink tickets are included for those competitors working up an appetite, Backer said.

Those not interested in cooking can still partake in the festivities with fun for the whole family on tap.

A $15 gate fee gets you a meal to flip for including hamburgers, hotdogs and samples of the barbecue.

“There will be plenty of food to go around,” Backer said.

The beer garden will be open all day with drink tickets at $2.50 each.

A corn hole tournament is set to begin at 3 p.m. with registration beginning an hour prior at $20 per team.

There’s also kids’ games and bounce houses. The LifeNet helicopter will also be on display.

Cactus Flats will perform at 8 p.m. to close out the day’s activities.

Randolph’s firemen have a lot on their plate in planning this first annual event and Backer said he’s not really sure what to expect.

“We’re extremely nervous but it’s worth a shot to go ahead and start,” he said. “It’s two years in the making and we’re finally getting a chance to get going on it. I hope we continue to do it for years to come.”

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