Wild West BBQ Bash
Santa Maria Celebrates the Art of BBQ to Support Local Foster and High-needs Children
Check out photos from the 2010 event here.
BBQ Competition results are viewable here.
On Saturday, June 26th the Family Care Network hosted its 2nd annual Wild West BBQ Bash, a benefit for local foster and high-needs children and families. The event, held at Preisker Park in Santa Maria, was a huge success, as an estimated 2,200 community members attended and helped to raise both funds and awareness for those being served by the agency. Guests enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of dancing to the live music of Pureheart and Solomon Creek. Children feasted on cotton candy, snow cones and kettle corn, and enjoyed getting their faces painted while adults tasted world-class BBQ from the 27 BBQ teams competing for the title of Grand Champion!
Among those competing in the International Barbeque Cookers Association’s sanctioned contest were BBQ teams from around the state and beyond--ten teams heralded from the Central Coast and one team came all the way from Las Vegas. Cooking methods included smoking, grilling and barbequing. For some of the competitors, the BBQ Bash was their first experience competing in a sanctioned event. The BBQ teams competed in six categories including: chicken, beef brisket, pork ribs, pork shoulder, “people’s choice” and tri-tip, the later being a new meat to many of the out-of-town teams. Team “Santa Ynez BBQ” led by Central Coast native Robert Santoro earned the title of Grand Champion after placing 3rd in ribs, 3rd in pork shoulder, 2nd in brisket, and 10th in tri-tip. Other local teams held their own with five of the six top finishers in the tri-tip category hailing from the Central Coast. Team “Nipomo Style BBQ” took 1st place in tri-tip, 2nd place in ribs and 12th in chicken while team “Outlaw Chow Line” from Santa Maria took 3rd in chicken.
Event organizers were pleased with the turn out on Saturday, as well as the event’s success in increasing community awareness about the needs of foster and high-needs children and families being served by the Family Care Network. While the community will have to wait until next year for another Wild West BBQ Bash, there are plenty of ways for individuals to help serve local children and youth right now. The Family Care Network invites community members to become mentors, tutors, volunteers or foster parents with the agency, as the need for community involvement is especially high during this troublesome economic time.
The Family Care Network is a private, nonprofit children and families services provider with program’s serving over 1,800 foster and high-needs children and families annually in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The agency was established in 1987 for the purpose of creating family-based treatment programs as an alternative to group home or institutional care for children and youth, and is accredited by the California Alliance of Child and Family Services. The agency operates 17 distinct programs within five service divisions, including: 1) Therapeutic Foster Care; 2) Family Support Services; 3) Transitional Housing Services; 4) Early Intervention and Prevention Services; and 5) Community-Linked Services. The mission of the Family Care Network is "to enhance the wellbeing of children and families in partnership with our community." For more information on the Family Care Network and for ways that you can become involved, please visit www.fcni.org or call (805) 781-3535.
Thank you to our 2010 sponsors:
Kitzman's Culligan - Farm Supply - R & R Catering - City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department - Merrill Gardens - NorthSBCountyParent.com - SignCraft, Inc. – Santa Maria News – Nipomo News – Univision - Santa Maria Times - Sunny Country 102.5 – Coast Hills Federal Credit Union - DenMat Holding, LLC - Fence Factory - M & W Pumps - Manzanita Berry Farm - Central Coast Urgent Care Center - Community Bank of Santa Maria - In-Shape Health Clubs, Inc - Toyota of Santa Maria - Apio Inc. - Diani Ward Diani, LLC - The Mortgage House - California BBQ Association - CO2West – Rabobank - Santa Maria Produce Marketing – Foresters - Hind Foundation - Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce - Home Instead Senior Care
