[00:00.000 --> 00:30.000] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is the MESH. The Carolina BBQ Pit Masters are a close knit community. We're always willing to help one another, but their offers of aid don't just stop at the people preparing the best smoked meats in the country. When it comes to helping those folks in need, the men and women of the BBQ world are on the scene to provide support to neighbors when they face their greatest challenge.
[00:30.000 --> 01:00.000] That's the spirit that fuels the Carolina BBQ Festival and it's BBQ for a calls mantra. The Low & Slow BBQ Show partners with the Carolina BBQ Festival to share the stories of participating pitmasters. We also want to cast a spotlight on the fantastic Charities the annual event supports. One of those Charities is Operation BBQ Relief. It was founded in the wake of Joplin, Missouri's tornado disaster back in 2011 and since then the organization has been sharing the healing power of
[01:00.000 --> 01:30.000] BBQ in 36 states across the country. They've been deployed almost 1,500 days and Operation Barbecues provided more than 11 million meals to disaster affected communities including residents, first responders and relief workers. Now their mission is expanding even farther to all those blue sky days. Today we talked to Operation BBQ founder and CEO Stan Hayes. He's a competition BBQ champion who's participated more than 35 sanctioned BBQ
[01:30.000 --> 02:00.000] contest. He's won 2 grand champion awards for reserve titles and several top 10 finishes. Stan knows about BBQ. He was the runner up in the 2015 season of Chocolate Grill Masters on Food Network and a few years ago he was recognized as a CNN hero for all the good things he does. He's also partnered with a great team of people to start this fantastic charity, Operation BBQ Relief. That team is going to be serving up BBQ to Charlotte on April 5th as part of the Carolina
[02:00.000 --> 02:30.000] BBQ Festival at the Victoria Yards. He's going to be part of the Charlotte Shout this year and the festival's founder Lewis Donald also joins us to talk about this year's event and how it supports Operation BBQ Relief as well as a few other charities in his BBQ for a cause mission. To find out more about this year's festival visit Carolina BBQFest.com. That's where you can buy a single day and 2 day tickets for the festival April 5th and 6th. When you do be sure to use the promo code
[02:30.000 --> 03:00.000] lowslowbbq to get a discount and join us for the fun at this year's event and you'll also be helping charities like Operation BBQ. Now enjoy your conversation with Operation BBQ Relief CEO and founder Stan Hayes as well as Lewis Sweet Lou Don. Okay extremely excited to have with us Stan Hayes from the Operation BBQ Relief and our good friend Sweet Lou is Donald from Sweet Lou's BBQ. He's the founder and founder of the
[03:00.000 --> 03:23.000] Operation and really the brain master behind the Carolina BBQ Festival which we're so excited to partner with again and Lewis thanks so much for joining us back. I want to talk to you just a couple minutes before we dive into Stan's exciting story and find out all about Operation BBQ Relief. But Sweet Lou just give us a reminder how did the Carolina BBQ Festival get started?
[03:23.000 --> 03:37.000] I mean it really started well first of all thanks for having us back we appreciate you and I'm excited to hear what Stan has to say about his organization and it's just so awesome and I'm glad that he's with us and making a big difference this year.
[03:38.000 --> 04:05.000] I think it all started with you know we're here in Charlotte North Carolina I've been fortunate enough to travel around and go to different BBQ festivals and be in that BBQ community and I really felt like you know since we're here and this is our home city we needed something similar to that and I think that you know for me personally I've always gone back to my childhood I've been fortunate
[04:05.000 --> 04:20.000] with both my family's very charity driven and doing things like that throughout life and service and BBQ and charity and community all go very well together and it just kind of made sense for me.
[04:21.000 --> 04:32.000] Yeah of course so this is the third year of the festival and talk a little bit about this year I know you guys are in a little bit different spot on the calendar a little bit different location so tell me what all you got cooked up for this year and why the changes?
[04:33.000 --> 04:53.000] Well so this year first and foremost it changed we're in April so we teamed up with Charlotte city partners and we're a part of Charlotte Shout which is huge for us gives us a lot of infrastructure gives us a venue a different venue and then it gives us some more visibility right.
[04:54.000 --> 05:15.000] And then you know talking with Stan over the past couple of months or prior to we added this Friday night event because Stan was you know graciously available and willing to come out and cook and we kind of felt like or at least I felt like Operation BBQ Relief
[05:15.000 --> 05:36.000] and Hungry Heroes needed their own event to spotlight themselves because those guys that's why we're doing it is for them and to help them and you know through conversations with Stan we kind of came up with us Friday night deal and put some music to it like a little charity concert and you know it's really just to raise more money for them.
[05:36.000 --> 06:05.000] Yeah fantastic so again that's April 5th and 6th it's going to be Victoria yards and Charlotte and that special concert and charity benefit where we're Stan and his other charity partners are going to be serving up the food and Saturday you guys all the pitmasters I think you've got 15 on tap right now are going to be serving out and providing all the samples out there really going to be a great opportunity to meet the folks and then taste the food you can get all the details at Carolina BBQfest.org you can get tickets there and find out all those pitmasters.
[06:06.000 --> 06:22.000] Before we get on to Operation BBQ Relief Lou tell me about BBQ for a cause why did you want to do this and what's it about and how do you get these BBQ guys involved to first of all identify them as someone you want to support but then also participate.
[06:23.000 --> 06:29.000] Well and it's kind of twofold right so BBQ for a cause it's kind of like I spoke about it's BBQ community.
[06:30.000 --> 06:37.000] I think it's a very special community to be a part of and BBQ in the last 15 years has become more of that.
[06:39.000 --> 06:50.000] You know I'm from the north you can edit that out and you know we would grow up doing spaghetti dinners and potlucks at the churches and stuff like that to raise money for charities and churches and things like that.
[06:51.000 --> 07:15.000] Well down here it's you know it's BBQ right you see it with the boy scouts you see it with a lot of churches and all that kind of stuff and I think BBQ is just that comfort food for people and it brings them all together because everybody loves BBQ and the smoke and the whole hogs and all that kind of stuff that goes through it and learning tips and tricks and it just made sense.
[07:16.000 --> 07:29.000] I mean that's the cause right the cause is people like Stan and Amanda and Hungry Heroes and Folds of Honor that go out there and do good work that don't you know it's and this year is more special.
[07:30.000 --> 07:39.000] This Friday night event to me kind of you know Stan really blew my mind because for him to actually just say cool I appreciate sport will look for the check.
[07:40.000 --> 08:03.000] He said no I want to be a part of it which is very different than you know some of these bigger organizations that other people are part of and I've been a part of in the past that you know to have that two way street of a partnership and really see the fruits of our labor that we spend our time on that's what makes the difference that's the cause and that's.
[08:04.000 --> 08:06.000] The impressive part about the Friday night event itself.
[08:07.000 --> 08:25.000] Yeah and so again Operation Barbecue Relief Hungry Heroes Folds of Honor and all of them seem to kind of have a similar mission and combined and that is you know serving folks when they're really in a time of desperate need so you know maybe talk a little bit about why you chose those particular partnerships.
[08:26.000 --> 08:33.000] Well I mean to not sound what I don't even know the word for I see where my money goes.
[08:34.000 --> 08:50.000] Right so we spend you know twelve months planning this thing for you know two days of service but I know that when we write checks to these organizations where this money goes it doesn't go into a pot and you know who knows where it's going.
[08:51.000 --> 09:07.000] You know I can see the work that Stan does I can see the work that Amanda does I can see the work that Folds of Honor does and there's one other little caveat with some of these these three organizations if you link them all together they're all very military first responder oriented as well.
[09:08.000 --> 09:17.000] Which is become very near and dear to me I guess in the last few years just seeing where we're at and as I got older and mature I guess maybe a little bit.
[09:18.000 --> 09:31.000] And I'm not saying that we're military focused or aligned but you know that first responder key and some of those things and what they do I think is probably my biggest driver now.
[09:32.000 --> 09:33.000] It's who they serve.
[09:34.000 --> 09:35.000] Yeah fantastic some folks themselves.
[09:37.000 --> 09:46.000] It's and it's the people in need and it's the you know Stan's gonna I hope tell you a bit about his camp that's just unbelievable I got the opportunity to go out there last November October.
[09:48.000 --> 09:55.000] And just those kinds of projects and you see where your money goes and you see the effect that it has and because I can't do it all right.
[09:56.000 --> 09:59.000] So good buddy of mine always says if everybody does a little nobody has to do a lot.
[10:00.000 --> 10:06.000] So my little helps Stan do a lot if that makes sense helps Amanda do a lot.
[10:07.000 --> 10:09.000] So that's the way I look at it.
[10:09.000 --> 10:10.000] Yeah fantastic.
[10:10.000 --> 10:24.000] I want to jump on into and get Stan into our conversation and we want to find out about that camp and operation barbecue relief but before we do that I want to set the stage a little bit with you Stan you know you aren't just some golf the street that decided to start cooking barbecue you got a little bit of a history
[10:24.000 --> 10:31.000] behind you so tell me a little bit about how you got into smoking meat low and slow and and how long you've been working as a pitmaster.
[10:32.000 --> 10:50.000] Oh boy you know I guess I tell everybody that I got into live fire cooking and stuff sort of in college you know whether it was with a fraternity just doing you know burgers and stuff like that for for a party on a big barrel type charcoal grill.
[10:51.000 --> 11:08.000] But it just started evolving you know just after college and and I bought my what I call my my first real big boy smoker I won't even talk about the little like briefing you know bullet that I had you know when I but you know about twenty twenty one twenty two years ago
[11:08.000 --> 11:15.000] I bought my real you know my first what I would call big boy smoker and my wife and my neighbors they all wow that's a big smoker.
[11:16.000 --> 11:35.000] You know I had been playing around for a few years like I said with like you know on on a brinkman on a Weber kettle and just you know starting to do things and and it's it's that passion to you know to learn more I guess over time that that drove me to to eventually get to the point that I wanted to compete.
[11:36.000 --> 11:40.000] And it's funny I tell it my wife we were living in Texas and my wife.
[11:41.000 --> 11:49.000] It's like hey for your birthday I got you this and it said hey I'm going to enter you in this barbecue contest down at the VFW and I said oh hell no.
[11:50.000 --> 11:56.000] Like what do you mean I said honey that thing that you thinks a big smoker is a little ditty bitty thing.
[11:57.000 --> 12:04.000] You know to compete on and do everything that you have to do it needs to be bigger than that and you know so I convinced her that we would go to the bar.
[12:05.000 --> 12:11.000] The barbecue contest first before so she could see it because I wasn't confident enough in what I could do yet anyway.
[12:13.000 --> 12:24.000] And so we go to there and she wouldn't even five minutes in she's like oh it's a good thing I didn't enter you unless you get your butt kicked by all these guys they see that little smoker in there out there with their 500 gallon propane tanks and.
[12:25.000 --> 12:34.000] And but you know I just kept at it and then we ended up moving to Kansas City and you know I had met you know back in the.
[12:35.000 --> 12:46.000] days it wasn't social media it was forums right you had barbecue forums and barbecue brethren was one of the big forums that I was on and I got to meet a bunch of guys that were in competition stuff.
[12:47.000 --> 12:55.000] On there and so when I moved to Kansas City you know we all finally met up and I went to my first contest probably less than a year after.
[12:56.000 --> 13:02.000] You know moving to Kansas City area and you know I think I probably got like two hours of sleep the whole night and.
[13:02.000 --> 13:08.000] was up check and fires all night and all this and my wife's like that sounds horrible.
[13:09.000 --> 13:15.000] And I was like oh it was so great you know but talk to me why I'm driving home so I don't fall asleep.
[13:16.000 --> 13:20.000] And you know it just it just evolved from there you know.
[13:21.000 --> 13:24.000] I just love cooking it I love the the reaction of people I mean.
[13:25.000 --> 13:31.000] Like Lou said I mean barbecue's quintessential comfort food you know so people love it.
[13:31.000 --> 13:37.000] I don't know another food that is used in celebration as much as barbecue when you look at it.
[13:38.000 --> 13:45.000] Used in celebration of you know marriages it's used in the celebration of birthdays it's used in the celebration of life.
[13:46.000 --> 13:51.000] From birth to death there are very few foods that.
[13:52.000 --> 13:57.000] Go through the evolution of of being right the way barbecue does.
[13:58.000 --> 14:05.000] Now I'm not trying to get you know super existential or something here but it's it's really just that thing that that barbecue is is that vehicle.
[14:06.000 --> 14:10.000] And when you add that food is the greatest unifier in the world.
[14:12.000 --> 14:18.000] And you take a quintessential comfort food that's really how we got to the point with operation barbecue relief was.
[14:19.000 --> 14:26.000] Hey who better than a bunch of barbecue guys to go set up in a parking lot after a major devastating disaster that's close to home.
[14:28.000 --> 14:30.000] And feed people in need.
[14:31.000 --> 14:36.000] That was it you know instead of competing against one another let's just come together and just start cooking.
[14:37.000 --> 14:47.000] At the end of the day what we thought would be a few thousand meals in a few days was you know eleven days of cooking in a parking lot and over a hundred and twenty thousand meals served in a community of Joplin Missouri.
[14:48.000 --> 14:51.000] You know and that was the beginning.
[14:52.000 --> 15:01.000] But the thing I tell people by about day three we knew there's such a gap that existed for you know real food for people in in such a need.
[15:02.000 --> 15:08.000] That we were really uniquely qualified I mean we weren't just a bunch of knuckleheads you know people thought okay.
[15:09.000 --> 15:19.000] They hear barbecue they think a couple of fat guys sitting on a corner with a couple of webbers flipping some burgers or something because you know the difference between grilling and barbecue is so different.
[15:20.000 --> 15:23.000] But to the laymen it's the same thing.
[15:24.000 --> 15:34.000] So it's taken it's taken a long time you know and and when I've teach when I've taught classes and when we teach classes you know we we go through the difference between grilling and barbecue.
[15:35.000 --> 15:37.000] You know burgers is grilling.
[15:38.000 --> 15:48.000] You know brisket if you're grilling it you know you got way behind I've done it I've helped a friend do it before who who might have drank a little too much the night before and was just like you know.
[15:49.000 --> 15:59.000] I'm not going to turn anything in I was like you got an hour and a half put that brisket on on at 400 degrees on that kettle over there and let's get you turned in and the thing is he didn't take last.
[16:00.000 --> 16:02.000] That was that was the scary part he didn't take.
[16:03.000 --> 16:04.000] Yeah.
[16:05.000 --> 16:18.000] So that's a great introduction there to Operation barbecue relief and again you mentioned Joplin Missouri around 2011 terrible disaster tornado that comes through there and and you guys county line smokers your competition barbecue team and.
[16:19.000 --> 16:29.000] Again give you some credit you've definitely got some some accolades and won some awards there but but something spurge you to jump into action and really help out your community so so tell me about really kind of.
[16:30.000 --> 16:34.000] Seeing the writing on the wall that this is something that we've got to do in a place we've got to help out.
[16:35.000 --> 16:45.000] So you know if you think back into 2011 there was two major major storms that Tuscaloosa was about a month and a half before job.
[16:46.000 --> 17:00.000] And I remember it's the first disaster I can remember where literally they were following in a helicopter the the tornadic damage and you could see the tornado in the distance as they are filming right.
[17:01.000 --> 17:06.000] I mean they're there really was nothing at that point that I remember up until that time.
[17:07.000 --> 17:13.000] So Joplin was a second I couldn't do much about Tuscaloosa from from Kansas City you know with a corporate job and everything else.
[17:13.000 --> 17:27.000] But Joplin two and a half hours from my home that that became a lot more real you know and I knew people in that area I knew I had friends I had co workers I had colleagues that were in that area and so.
[17:28.000 --> 17:36.000] You know I just remember watching it that afternoon and into the evening and as I was getting to work getting ready for work the next morning.
[17:37.000 --> 17:47.000] My wife gets up and you know she's not an early morning person but she goes you need to go and and you know admittedly it was a Monday morning I was running a little late and I was maybe a little bit of a smart ass.
[17:48.000 --> 17:56.000] I know she's like no no no you need to get your barbecue friends together that you compete with and you guys should just go to Joplin and cook.
[17:57.000 --> 18:07.000] And I looked at her and I said yeah shake my head and I leave but yeah I didn't make it a mile from my house on the way to town when I say you know she's right.
[18:08.000 --> 18:14.000] And so I called you know the guy who was my mentor in barbecue that really got me into competition I said hey Jeff what do you think about this and.
[18:15.000 --> 18:25.000] And in about a 15 minute phone call we hatched a plan of how we're going to go to Joplin what he was going to do what I was going to do to get the word out to secure location all of those things.
[18:26.000 --> 18:38.000] And you know by before noon we had a page is still out there on Facebook people still don't like it for some crazy reason it's called Operation barbecue relief for Joplin and it says right on there we do not update this page.
[18:39.000 --> 18:41.000] I just haven't had the heart to kill the page because it was our beginning.
[18:42.000 --> 18:54.000] You know but I mean we it grew to a couple thousand within days of this through the barbecue community we ended up having you know people from nine additional states come in just to help.
[18:55.000 --> 19:05.000] I mean we had people from Georgia we had people we had a guy flying from Pennsylvania you know we had a bunch of guys come up from Texas and you know Oklahoma Arkansas you know Kansas.
[19:06.000 --> 19:11.000] And it was it was those I mean many of these people that were competition barbecue folks.
[19:12.000 --> 19:23.000] They weren't just KCBS guys they were Lone Star they were Texas you know competition circuit guys but they saw on the different pages what we were doing and they were called to hey let's go help.
[19:24.000 --> 19:42.000] That the the cry for hey guys this is bad and we need to do something and you know that that action you know and I joke with my wife especially when I travel this time of year I start traveling quite a bit and I'm gone a week at a time and and everything else so she starts complaining I just remind her it was her fault.
[19:43.000 --> 19:47.000] So it doesn't work very well anymore.
[19:48.000 --> 20:01.000] But you know she she knows what it is I mean she knows that that is this is so much different today than the corporate world was it's not a it's not a traditional nine to five Monday through Friday type job.
[20:02.000 --> 20:10.000] You know I'm gone on the weekends that's when the festivals are that's when the events are that's when the trade shows are you know you have to you know they're the travel.
[20:10.000 --> 20:17.000] So you know I am at home sometimes more during the week than I am on the weekend than I am on the weekends anymore.
[20:18.000 --> 20:33.000] But for that you know she sees the difference that you know that is made I mean you know we've provided over 11 million meals now almost 13 years since Joplin tornado 13 years in May.
[20:34.000 --> 20:44.000] You know for the majority of those are from disaster but we also are non-disaster programs which is you know I tell everybody there's a lot more blue sky days and there are grey sky days every year.
[20:45.000 --> 20:54.000] And you know we started we started morphing and using our volunteers across the country to keep them active and keep them engaged.
[20:55.000 --> 21:02.000] You know years ago I mean about 2016 we had a really slow year it was a good year blessed wise for non disasters.
[21:04.000 --> 21:08.000] You know which isn't always a great thing when you're in a when you're in a disaster leave organization.
[21:09.000 --> 21:15.000] We started saying hey guys you know what would you do in your community if we were to give you $300 or $500 you know what would you do.
[21:16.000 --> 21:22.000] About eight times out of ten they came back and it was either something for first responder you know whether it was please fire EMS.
[21:23.000 --> 21:31.000] You know active duty military reserve unit a guard unit something like that a tragedy.
[21:32.000 --> 21:34.000] And we started thinking okay.
[21:35.000 --> 21:43.000] We did we didn't take credit for a lot of these things we did it very silent because it was very selfish that we did this it was to keep those people from going somewhere else.
[21:44.000 --> 21:51.000] We got engaged they had done this we had given them skills we you know we had worked with them but it got to a point that you're like.
[21:52.000 --> 21:56.000] If we don't keep them engaged they're gonna go find somewhere else to go volunteer and we may lose them.
[21:57.000 --> 22:03.000] So it took years before we started taking credit for some of the events that we were really doing.
[22:04.000 --> 22:10.000] And really started putting out there in twenty twenty nineteen we hired a guy down the road from Charlotte.
[22:12.000 --> 22:20.000] For Fort Bragg a retired first sergeant who who was part of Delta Force he was a green beret there.
[22:21.000 --> 22:27.000] He was working at for the special where special warfare's medical training unit there at Bragg.
[22:28.000 --> 22:33.000] And we were doing an event at Bragg and he happened to be ended up being my point of contact and during that time.
[22:34.000 --> 22:48.000] I found out you know that you know later that year beginning of the next year he was planning on retiring and he was asking me questions about nonprofit that's something that he thought he wanted to do and I jokingly tell everybody it became the longest job interview he didn't even know he was in.
[22:49.000 --> 22:58.000] At that point in time because my brain started turning because I was like I need somebody like that to operationalize the non-disaster side.
[22:59.000 --> 23:05.000] We got a pretty good idea of how to do disasters and scale them and doing pretty well by that time.
[23:06.000 --> 23:10.000] But we didn't really know how we were going to scale and what we were going to do on the non-disaster side.
[23:11.000 --> 23:18.000] And so it started out with using our talents and passion for grilling and barbecue to give life lessons.
[23:19.000 --> 23:24.000] We're doing classes for first responders for active military.
[23:24.000 --> 23:37.000] I mean we did this like three years on Fort Bragg until or two years until the pandemic and then that shut down and we haven't done an active class on base since then.
[23:38.000 --> 23:49.000] We've done it at VA hospitals we've done it at you know police action leagues we've done it at fire fire camps we've done this and you know and that's what's morphed again.
[23:50.000 --> 24:03.000] As we start looking at it we have so many more blue sky days that way we can continue to make impacts in communities and in people's lives outside of disaster because even our busiest years in disaster you're talking about 120 days maybe.
[24:04.000 --> 24:21.000] You know yeah like going 365 minus 120 that's a lot of days left in the year right that you know and I'm like you know what I don't want to do is have people questioning okay I'm a sponsor of years what do you do the other 200 and you know 45 days of the year.
[24:22.000 --> 24:30.000] What are you guys doing and you know fixing the stuff that you break on deployments and getting everything ready to go again is not a great answer.
[24:31.000 --> 24:34.000] I mean it's a valid one but it's not a great one.
[24:35.000 --> 24:52.000] So that started that whole that whole side of the non-disaster programs and our non-disaster programs it has a great name we call it our always serving project because when you think about it the people were serving are the ones that are always serving they're the ones serving their community whether they're on duty or off duty right.
[24:52.000 --> 25:09.000] You know the stories of the number of off duty firemen or police officers that jump into action or military that are you know off duty that jump into action when their community needs them is just amazing.
[25:10.000 --> 25:21.000] I mean it gives you hope for you know in the world that we're in today when people are still jumping up even you know probably the most moving story
[25:21.000 --> 25:36.000] I heard was gosh what was this it's probably 2018 or somewhere around there after hurricane Harvey and there was a lot going on in the Houston area and the Houston firefighters were being paid a lot less than the police officers.
[25:37.000 --> 25:45.000] And so they were you know the union was pushing and they said okay yeah we're going to we're going to make it we're going to get you to that equality.
[25:46.000 --> 25:53.000] You know but we're also going to terminate like 75 to 100 firemen to be able to get there because we don't have the money for it.
[25:54.000 --> 26:08.000] So they did that they literally did that and that the same day that that happened you get an off duty fireman who you know there's a major accident and the guys out there you know and many people say was a hero and saving you know some people's lives.
[26:09.000 --> 26:11.000] To find out that he was one of them that was cut that morning.
[26:12.000 --> 26:15.000] Well that was told that he you know what did he do.
[26:16.000 --> 26:20.000] He did what you know he would have done any other day of the week as well.
[26:21.000 --> 26:26.000] He went out there and and was did what he was trained to do even though he knew he didn't have a job anymore.
[26:27.000 --> 26:36.000] And I heard that story and I was like when we came up with you know when we were ideating over what to call it and everything and Jay was like I think it's always serving project.
[26:37.000 --> 26:49.000] He goes and he started saying and I was like I immediately thought of that that young man who who did all of those things when he could have very easily said screw it you know what I'm no longer a fireman they just fired me.
[26:51.000 --> 26:59.000] Yeah but but he didn't and it's the DNA that that he has it's the DNA that the firemen the EMS the the.
[27:00.000 --> 27:05.000] Our military has right and and there's many people that are any of those that still have that too.
[27:06.000 --> 27:12.000] There's a lot of great people out there that would jump out of the car to go help the neighbor that would run across the road you know to do that.
[27:13.000 --> 27:24.000] And and that's why we don't always serving project doesn't just point out you know the you know we look at those as the heroes out there and heroes coming all you know where all different kinds of capes.
[27:25.000 --> 27:31.000] I mean let's face it during the pandemic the nurses and teachers were some of the biggest heroes that were out there.
[27:32.000 --> 27:45.000] Some of the administrators and hospitals were were you know we're doing double time and things that they you know weren't really even probably qualified to do in many ways and helping take care of people but they did it because that's what needed to be done.
[27:46.000 --> 27:53.000] And so during those times we were celebrating all of them you know all of them even though for the most part we've focused on you know the first responders.
[27:54.000 --> 27:56.000] You know veterans and active military.
[27:57.000 --> 28:07.000] But it's more to the camp now right so the camp as we started looking at what we wanted to do with this camp we had an opportunity to reimagine a program and I won't get in it's a long story but.
[28:09.000 --> 28:13.000] It's something that all of a sudden we got a lot of passion around saying hey you know what we can do more.
[28:14.000 --> 28:22.000] And there's more companies that are really excited about a destination location and bringing families together and helping families.
[28:23.000 --> 28:34.000] Then to then to set up in a parking lot to give them life similar life skills together in a parking lot of a business right a VA hospital of something like that.
[28:35.000 --> 28:37.000] Don't get me wrong we still do those programs.
[28:38.000 --> 28:50.000] You know we're just not doing you know 25 to 30 a year like we we had planned because the camp has grown so much but as we started looking at that going all right who's going to come what are we going to do.
[28:50.000 --> 28:59.000] We were lied on Jay so Jay Collins the Jay that I'm talking about is Jay Collins he's our chief programs officer now he's the retired green berry.
[29:00.000 --> 29:08.000] From from Bragg and Jay as a a very you know a very amazing story.
[29:09.000 --> 29:11.000] Jay's you know like I said he was part of Delta Force.
[29:12.000 --> 29:19.000] Jay was injured in Afghanistan and from his injuries he had some major arterial damage in his leg you know on top of that.
[29:20.000 --> 29:22.000] Major back issues and everything.
[29:23.000 --> 29:32.000] Multiple surgeries well the you know army thought they could fix his leg so he went through years of limbs salvage before they actually amputated his leg.
[29:33.000 --> 29:39.000] And once they amputated and he started you know getting through rehab and everything and they looked at him.
[29:40.000 --> 29:42.000] Hey thank you for your service he's like I'm not done yet.
[29:43.000 --> 29:47.000] And he went back and requalified for five you know years as a green berry.
[29:48.000 --> 29:55.000] So requalifying as a green berry with a lower leg prosthetic he basically is one of the people that help write the book of how to do that.
[29:56.000 --> 30:05.000] Instead of as a normal green berry who I believe it's every three years requalifies he had to requalify annually because of his lower leg prosthetic.
[30:06.000 --> 30:10.000] So you know I'm sitting here got a hang nail right now and it's bothering me.
[30:11.000 --> 30:19.000] I can't imagine you know having to go through you know what they go through let alone doing it with you know a carbon fiber leg.
[30:21.000 --> 30:22.000] Yeah.
[30:23.000 --> 30:34.000] So when I you know one of the things that we are ideating on this I said Jay you know why you were going through you know because he was at both Walter Reed and Brooke Army.
[30:35.000 --> 30:40.000] I was at the medical center two different you know two different places as they were helping him with his injuries.
[30:41.000 --> 30:46.000] Said you know he said look you know the prop you know one of the problems is everybody wants to help wanted to help me.
[30:48.000 --> 30:52.000] But most of the time they forgot about my wife and child off to the side.
[30:53.000 --> 30:57.000] You know they my wife sort of felt like she was the outsider outcast.
[30:58.000 --> 31:04.000] And I'm paraphrasing here so for Laila hears this or something like that I'm not saying that Jay said it that way.
[31:05.000 --> 31:11.000] But you know what I was hearing from him is we have to do more for the families.
[31:12.000 --> 31:17.000] You know whether it's a physical injury or it's the emotional injury that they're suffering from.
[31:18.000 --> 31:27.000] We've got to be able to help bring those families back together because both of those injuries can cause a lot of toll on the family unit.
[31:28.000 --> 31:37.000] So if we can help them start rebonding together you know and that's how we just started ideating around okay how do we do this how do we do this.
[31:38.000 --> 31:41.000] And you know first things first food it's the greatest unifier.
[31:42.000 --> 31:50.000] So if we can take food we can use culinary therapy we put them out in 198 years away from the comfort of their home where they can hide from each other.
[31:51.000 --> 31:56.000] You know because they don't know how to talk to each other they don't know how to interact with each other they're having to learn these things.
[31:57.000 --> 32:05.000] Again because you know they've been gone for 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 months you know from each other and multiple deployments even.
[32:06.000 --> 32:15.000] So we start going through these and so we had this opportunity where we were looking for some property around the lake to do this.
[32:16.000 --> 32:24.000] And the first one fell through and that's the greatest day that it went and fell through because I had the biggest weight off of my shoulders because I think I'd still be working on cleaning the place up.
[32:25.000 --> 32:34.000] You know two years later of having it but you know we were frustrated we were out on the boat looking at raw land at this point in time.
[32:35.000 --> 32:45.000] And we pulled out of a cove directly across from the camp here in us and there's big sign for on the dock here for sale and you can see across it.
[32:46.000 --> 32:48.000] And one of the guys is like hey what do you think of that and I said you're crazy.
[32:48.000 --> 32:56.000] You're crazy because you know you look at this and there's this massive log home you know over 6,000 square foot log home sitting up on this hill.
[32:58.000 --> 33:02.000] I said but go over there and pull by that you know because I knew what my budget was.
[33:03.000 --> 33:07.000] So I wanted to see what they were asking and it was a fair amount over my budget.
[33:08.000 --> 33:13.000] But I convinced the other co-founder and some folks and I said hey I'm going to go look at this place.
[33:14.000 --> 33:22.000] And so we came and met the owners here with the Reliter and you know learned everything we could about this place.
[33:23.000 --> 33:26.000] You know and you know he's retired Air Force.
[33:27.000 --> 33:30.000] I mean their first question is what are you guys going to do.
[33:31.000 --> 33:32.000] We're going to turn it into a healing place.
[33:33.000 --> 33:34.000] We're going to do this.
[33:34.000 --> 33:36.000] We're going to bring people together and help them rebond.
[33:37.000 --> 33:45.000] Unbeknownst to us you know we knew he was you know that he was a pilot in the Air Force and a little bit of his background.
[33:46.000 --> 33:54.000] But what we didn't know is at the time that when they started building the place they lost their youngest daughter to a car accident.
[33:55.000 --> 33:59.000] And they made this their healing place when they built it.
[34:00.000 --> 34:06.000] Everything you see behind me all the woodwork once they got the structure up him and his wife did.
[34:07.000 --> 34:12.000] Every trim around the windows the doors the everything they put up the logs.
[34:13.000 --> 34:16.000] I mean the drywall they finished all of the interior themselves.
[34:17.000 --> 34:19.000] They lived in the basement for five years when they did it.
[34:20.000 --> 34:26.000] And you know the beautiful thing about it is you know I came up so many times it took so many tours with them to learn.
[34:26.000 --> 34:31.000] So so I could talk about this place so I can talk about the property.
[34:32.000 --> 34:36.000] And because you know they were like hey you know do you want this we didn't know if you wanted this.
[34:37.000 --> 34:39.000] I'm like it's part of the history of the camp.
[34:40.000 --> 34:49.000] I mean there's a gazebo up the hill from here that has a plate on there and their daughter's name was Laura and it says in a loving memory of Laura and the dates.
[34:50.000 --> 34:55.000] So about a week before we were to close I was coming down to do the final walkthrough and I walked by and the plates not there.
[34:57.000 --> 35:01.000] So I thought hey I thought we agreed is there you know did you guys change your mind did you want that.
[35:02.000 --> 35:03.000] They're like well we didn't know if you were serious.
[35:04.000 --> 35:05.000] I'm like oh I'm very serious.
[35:06.000 --> 35:08.000] That plate is going to outlive that gazebo.
[35:09.000 --> 35:12.000] You know it's part of the history.
[35:13.000 --> 35:18.000] I want people to know that this was a healing place before we ever said it was going to be a healing place.
[35:19.000 --> 35:21.000] And that's been the great part of it.
[35:22.000 --> 35:23.000] We've had a couple of camps down here already.
[35:24.000 --> 35:26.000] We had a we had a gold star men's retreat.
[35:27.000 --> 35:30.000] You know and somebody told me we're going to do you know we're doing that and I said it sounds great.
[35:31.000 --> 35:36.000] Then I find out that they don't do gold star men's retreat to a lot of retreats for women.
[35:37.000 --> 35:42.000] But it's hard pressed when I've talked to other organizations they're like we've never heard of a men's retreat.
[35:43.000 --> 35:50.000] This podcast is sponsored by Jackson Creative, a custom communication agency located in downtown Hickory, North Carolina
[35:50.000 --> 35:53.000] specializing in online content creation.
[35:54.000 --> 35:57.000] To learn more visit thejaxoncreative.com.
[35:58.000 --> 36:00.000] Jackson Creative we tell your story.
[36:01.000 --> 36:07.000] Well you know I got to meet these men and you know you had everything.
[36:08.000 --> 36:14.000] From dads that have lost their daughters sons to husbands that have lost their wives.
[36:15.000 --> 36:20.000] To fathers that lost their son to be there with their grandson.
[36:21.000 --> 36:24.000] I mean you want to talk about emotion.
[36:25.000 --> 36:26.000] Holy cow.
[36:27.000 --> 36:33.000] And then to have them tell you what it meant to actually you know get to do something like come to the camp.
[36:34.000 --> 36:37.000] It was like you know you want to talk about humbling.
[36:38.000 --> 36:40.000] You know that's humbling.
[36:40.000 --> 36:47.000] I mean you know I tell people handing a meal to somebody that can never repay you for the kindness or your work and a disastrous humbling.
[36:48.000 --> 36:55.000] Listening to a father tell you what it's meant to just meet others that have gone through the same thing they have.
[36:56.000 --> 37:03.000] And you know and break bread together around a table and learn to cook together and hear each other's stories.
[37:04.000 --> 37:11.000] You know I had a guy tell me he had never told anybody outside of his immediate family and close friends about his daughter.
[37:12.000 --> 37:13.000] Wow.
[37:14.000 --> 37:20.000] And tell he was driving in the car from the airport here with another father who had lost his son.
[37:21.000 --> 37:23.000] And both of the stories hit me hard.
[37:24.000 --> 37:27.000] Because I'm like I said I was like huh.
[37:28.000 --> 37:37.000] I mean what do you mean he's like I've never really talked to anybody until you know outside of you know family and a couple close friends about what happened to my daughter.
[37:37.000 --> 37:40.000] And I said I'm going to yeah I said Vic I'm going to be honest with you.
[37:41.000 --> 37:45.000] They sent me a dossier basically on everybody and their family and you know the person they lost.
[37:46.000 --> 37:47.000] I said I didn't read one.
[37:48.000 --> 37:50.000] And he looked at me he's like you didn't.
[37:51.000 --> 37:52.000] I said now I want to talk to everybody.
[37:53.000 --> 37:54.000] Yeah.
[37:54.000 --> 37:56.000] You know reading about the story I already knew they had lost.
[37:56.000 --> 38:05.000] I wanted to hear you know and and wanted to hear from you what you wanted me to know not what some piece of paper said about you.
[38:06.000 --> 38:10.000] And you know he said there and told me about his daughter and I mean I'm like.
[38:11.000 --> 38:15.000] You know I got an 18 year old you know his daughter was like 25.
[38:16.000 --> 38:17.000] I can't imagine.
[38:18.000 --> 38:23.000] You know but the true part was after the fact you know he's become a volunteer.
[38:24.000 --> 38:26.000] He's been out to you know disasters.
[38:26.000 --> 38:30.000] He's been out and and you know he's found a new purpose.
[38:31.000 --> 38:36.000] You know which we found that through our classes that we have these guys that have come out and volunteered with us.
[38:36.000 --> 38:37.000] Heck we hired one.
[38:38.000 --> 38:47.000] We hired a retired fireman who you know younger guy who was one of the in one of the first classes that we ever did.
[38:48.000 --> 38:56.000] And you know he just he just found a passion in cooking and and seeing what a hot meal meant to people.
[38:57.000 --> 39:08.000] You know Vic is you know Vic's told his story we've got you know it'll be coming at the most recent video of him telling his story will be out talking about you know the difference the camp made.
[39:09.000 --> 39:14.000] And then you have his wife coming up behind and said hey thank you.
[39:14.000 --> 39:15.000] Yeah.
[39:16.000 --> 39:18.000] You don't you gave me my husband back.
[39:18.000 --> 39:20.000] You don't know what you did.
[39:21.000 --> 39:23.000] And I'm like why don't we have her story.
[39:23.000 --> 39:30.000] You know because she's able to tell that post story of you know the changes in him.
[39:31.000 --> 39:34.000] And and we will have her story by the way but.
[39:35.000 --> 39:38.000] But that's that's that's the key right there right.
[39:39.000 --> 39:48.000] You know you have that the the motion of that person that's you know literally cries when you hand them a pulled pork sandwich because they haven't had something hot.
[39:49.000 --> 39:57.000] They haven't had anybody you know they haven't felt that that the comfort and the love that you know a group is showing after a major disaster.
[39:58.000 --> 39:59.000] And then you take it.
[40:00.000 --> 40:07.000] You know a totally different direction but you know barbecue and and and everything is still centric to what we did.
[40:09.000 --> 40:22.000] And they have the same kind of you know reaction when you know that you know people that have lost somebody you know or lost their home the emotion is so raw.
[40:23.000 --> 40:31.000] And that's that's probably what that at the end of the day when I look at that look back at what we're able to accomplish and what we're doing and what we're going to be doing.
[40:32.000 --> 40:43.000] That's that's the path on the back. So you know whenever whenever I get down whenever I question what we're doing I think you know I used to think of the little old lady you know in Joplin that said they're crying.
[40:44.000 --> 40:46.000] Just wanting to thank somebody for a pull pork sandwich.
[40:47.000 --> 40:48.000] Literally literally.
[40:49.000 --> 40:54.000] But now you know I sit there and I think of what Vic said you know about you know.
[40:56.000 --> 40:59.000] Making a place that people can come to really you know.
[41:00.000 --> 41:02.000] Unload some of that burden off themselves.
[41:03.000 --> 41:08.000] And that's I had no idea what what was going to happen that weekend.
[41:09.000 --> 41:11.000] It sure was way beyond my expectation.
[41:12.000 --> 41:18.000] I was hoping we were going to you know give them a little comfort give them some you know give them some life skills around grilling and barbecue.
[41:19.000 --> 41:25.000] Give them a little respite out here in nature you know on the lake take them out on the boat you know do some things like that.
[41:26.000 --> 41:28.000] And it was far greater than that.
[41:29.000 --> 41:38.000] So you know when I look at I look at what we're doing I look at you know what Amanda's doing with hungry heroes and doing it for you know those heroes as well.
[41:39.000 --> 41:41.000] And and our friends over at Folds of Honor.
[41:42.000 --> 41:44.000] I mean you know we're intertwined with all of them.
[41:45.000 --> 41:49.000] And that's what makes this whole weekend is going to be you know exciting.
[41:50.000 --> 41:57.000] Lou said it earlier you know I I didn't I mean I was honored that he was chosen you know.
[41:58.000 --> 42:01.000] But I wanted to come I wanted to cook I wanted to do something I you know.
[42:02.000 --> 42:08.000] It's not in me just to sit back and not be part of something that you know where people want to give back.
[42:09.000 --> 42:11.000] They want to give to us in a substantial way.
[42:12.000 --> 42:19.000] You know this is this is what's helped the organization grow to the way it's been is going to events like this.
[42:20.000 --> 42:29.000] Talking to the people around and getting the people excited about what we do and how barbecue you know changes lives.
[42:30.000 --> 42:35.000] Yeah well that's tremendous tremendous story of the organization and how you guys have expanded.
[42:36.000 --> 42:38.000] And I know that with everything that you're doing.
[42:38.000 --> 42:44.000] It's not just stand and I look at your board or directors and it's not just will or David or Jeremy or any of these guys.
[42:45.000 --> 42:46.000] Who all is out there.
[42:46.000 --> 42:50.000] Tell me more about the broader organization even if it's just numbers and where you've got people.
[42:51.000 --> 42:53.000] Who all is coming together to make these things happen.
[42:54.000 --> 43:01.000] Yeah I mean so we have I think we have 29 it's I think it's 29 full-time staff across like nine different states.
[43:01.000 --> 43:05.000] You know Kansas City has the majority you know has probably the largest number.
[43:06.000 --> 43:18.000] But we have people in Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi.
[43:20.000 --> 43:23.000] I think that I'm probably leaving somewhere else out.
[43:23.000 --> 43:24.000] Oh Indiana.
[43:25.000 --> 43:33.000] Oh Illinois so I mean you start you know we start going through there outside of Kansas and Missouri.
[43:34.000 --> 43:35.000] I mean that's a lot of states.
[43:36.000 --> 43:37.000] Yeah.
[43:38.000 --> 43:40.000] And then we've got I think there's five part-time employees that we have.
[43:41.000 --> 43:42.000] There are guys that work at the warehouse.
[43:43.000 --> 43:45.000] There are guys that are highly skilled trades you know tradesmen.
[43:46.000 --> 43:49.000] Whether they're electricians, sheet metal workers you know like that that do a lot of work.
[43:50.000 --> 43:57.000] And then we've got about 10,000 and I think it's about up to about 12,000 registered volunteers across the country.
[43:58.000 --> 44:04.000] And you know of that you've got you've got several hundred that are truly the engaged ones.
[44:05.000 --> 44:10.000] The ones that you know you know the next disaster or the next big thing that you need something.
[44:11.000 --> 44:13.000] They're going to be the ones that are you know on there.
[44:13.000 --> 44:18.000] And then you have those that are local that are ready to do things in their local area but aren't able to.
[44:19.000 --> 44:20.000] Maybe travel for.
[44:21.000 --> 44:24.000] And so that's what makes it great.
[44:24.000 --> 44:31.000] I mean and then we have some amazing partners out there you know we have these partners that have been with us.
[44:32.000 --> 44:33.000] You know some of them since the beginning.
[44:34.000 --> 44:41.000] You know my old company back in my corporate days is you know still one of one of the longest running sponsors that we have.
[44:43.000 --> 44:48.000] And that's farmers insurance that I'm not I'm not ashamed to say you know give them a nice little shout out.
[44:48.000 --> 44:49.000] But yeah definitely.
[44:49.000 --> 44:55.000] You have you have feral gas out there and feral gas that owns blue rhino and blue rhino.
[44:55.000 --> 44:59.000] I remember meeting Chris Hartley at a at a.
[45:00.000 --> 45:05.000] Hearth patio barbecue event and telling him hey you know you guys should get involved and you know.
[45:06.000 --> 45:11.000] You know month or two later they were getting involved donating propane to you know for us to use.
[45:12.000 --> 45:18.000] And now they go way beyond donating propane they're you know they're out actively out there helping promote us.
[45:18.000 --> 45:23.000] They're you know they're putting money towards us being able to do good things in communities.
[45:24.000 --> 45:25.000] They're helping here at the camp.
[45:26.000 --> 45:34.000] Their parent company has gotten on board now as a feral gas and really taking that to and helping take it to another level.
[45:35.000 --> 45:43.000] Priority fresh pork or seaboard foods I mean you know they've been they've been with us for a long long time and provided a lot of food.
[45:44.000 --> 45:48.000] You know to to feed out in those communities but also for a lot of events that we've done.
[45:49.000 --> 45:58.000] So as we continue to you know you know that's just a that's just a small fraction of of those that you know we have nonprofit partners that help us you know.
[45:59.000 --> 46:06.000] Be able to do the things that we do in communities and then we have a lot of partnerships with restaurant tours and stuff that.
[46:07.000 --> 46:13.000] You know take their time away from the restaurants to come out during a disaster or send their employees out when it's in areas.
[46:14.000 --> 46:17.000] And it just continues to be a big thing for us.
[46:18.000 --> 46:24.000] Yeah fantastic and if folks do want to get involved you can do it online at the website operation bbqrelief.org.
[46:25.000 --> 46:29.000] Or just look to get involved and you can be a volunteer you be a sponsor be a donor.
[46:30.000 --> 46:43.000] Or you can come see staying in the team at the Carolina barbecue festival coming up in Charlotte and April 5th and 6th and stay what can people expect to find from operation barbecue relief when they come to the festival during those that day.
[46:44.000 --> 46:45.000] Particularly on the Friday night.
[46:46.000 --> 46:51.000] So Friday night you know Amanda and I've been working on a you know finalizing it.
[46:51.000 --> 46:58.000] I know that ribs are on the menu I know the chickens on the menu poultry we're back and forth whether it's going to be chicken or it's going to be turkey right now.
[46:59.000 --> 47:11.000] Because you know some of the best turkey I've ever had is come out of North Carolina out of Butterball there and they're big you know food service turkey breasts that we love to cook on disasters.
[47:12.000 --> 47:27.000] But we may sneak some beef in there we're still working on it and we're hoping you know that we'll have some sliders we'll have some ribs we'll have some chicken or turkey working on the sides as well.
[47:28.000 --> 47:35.000] We're not going to just do you know the old classics it's not just going to be a slaw or something it's going to be if it's a slaw it's going to be a kicked up slaw.
[47:36.000 --> 47:46.000] If it's going to be you know I was talking to Amanda about you know doing some cheesy corn or you know doing a potato casserole type you know cheesy casserole.
[47:47.000 --> 47:53.000] I want to make sure that the people that come have a great time they feel the comfort of the food.
[47:54.000 --> 47:58.000] You know feel it as they're letting that belt out after eating too much of it.
[47:59.000 --> 48:04.000] Maybe having a cocktail or and why they're enjoying the night.
[48:05.000 --> 48:13.000] I mean you know I've got a great team coming in I heard you mentioned Hickory one of my guys is in Hickory that's where you'll be coming down from.
[48:14.000 --> 48:24.000] And you know Carolina's I have some some amazing volunteers that are coming in there they've already started planning you know coming in to start cooking for for the vet.
[48:25.000 --> 48:42.000] So it's great when you have that you know because I'm like hey I'm going to be coming in hot you know I'm flying in Thursday and so I'm going to need you guys you know your help and and they're all they're all about it you know the opportunity to sit there and talk about it.
[48:43.000 --> 48:45.000] Again barbecue family is amazing.
[48:46.000 --> 48:47.000] Yeah definitely.
[48:48.000 --> 48:54.000] That's what's going to be fun at this event is to get to see so many of them and and I'll be there on Saturday as well.
[48:55.000 --> 49:14.000] I'll have a little tent set up or something off to the side and you know be talking to people hopefully coming through about what Operation Barbecue Leaf does and how they can get involved and hopefully at the end of the day you know maybe we'll maybe we'll pick up a new sponsor maybe we'll pick up a new donor maybe we'll pick up some new volunteers.
[49:16.000 --> 49:32.000] You know I just want to make a comment real quick about Stan and the impact that he has on the barbecue community and so with that Friday night event again with Stan's ideas and some of his relationships we wanted to do like a crawfish boil.
[49:33.000 --> 49:36.000] So I wanted to find somebody to come out and cook crawfish.
[49:37.000 --> 49:52.000] Now I met Erica Robey one time probably eight months ago on my patio she was just coming through Charlotte stopped and I reached out to our Instagram she called me within an hour and I just said hey I don't know if you remember me.
[49:53.000 --> 49:59.000] I'm so and so we're doing this barbecue festival we're doing this event and we need somebody to come cook crawfish.
[50:00.000 --> 50:06.000] And she says all right tell me a little bit more about it who's coming and I said well we like to benefit Operation Barbecue Relief.
[50:06.000 --> 50:10.000] And she goes oh Stan I love Stan I'll be there.
[50:11.000 --> 50:22.000] And I tell you what like literally she just said no problem no I'll clear my calendar I'll be there and I said okay and something that we try and you know do you need accommodations do you need any you know nope.
[50:23.000 --> 50:26.000] She said I'll take care of myself keep the money give it to Stan.
[50:27.000 --> 50:29.000] And that's you know you asked me earlier.
[50:29.000 --> 50:31.000] She's amazing she really is.
[50:31.000 --> 50:33.000] She's cool she can't wait.
[50:33.000 --> 50:37.000] I've talked to her a couple times since and she's more and more excited about it every time.
[50:38.000 --> 50:45.000] But we talked about the pitmasters that do come and we've had you know this is our third year and over half of our pitmasters have been coming every year.
[50:46.000 --> 51:09.000] I think part of that is because of Stan's impact in the barbecue community and you know we've always donated to Operation Barbecue Relief but you know Stan coming and and being a part of and hanging out with the guys or ladies I think makes a big impact as well because when he and I first met was in July
[51:10.000 --> 51:12.000] at Windy City and he was cooking up there.
[51:12.000 --> 51:23.000] I mean I think he did banana pudding and another dish but I mean they were they were crushing it but he took time to you know get to know me and get to know a little bit about the barbecue festival.
[51:23.000 --> 51:36.000] And that's when I walked away from there saying okay that's my guy like we're going to really invest in what he's got going on and you know the conversations we've been able to have and then again bringing all these people together that.
[51:37.000 --> 51:43.000] You know it's all about support of barbecue community and he does great work and his organization.
[51:44.000 --> 51:52.000] Yeah so fantastic and we're going to have to wrap it up here with our showdown but before I get to that Stan you know your reputation precedes you.
[51:52.000 --> 52:05.000] Obviously when you hear things like that it's got to feel good and then obviously the things you hear from Gold Star families on the camp and the people that you're helping but tell me how does it make you feel when you hear those types of things and why are you really out there doing it.
[52:07.000 --> 52:17.000] Yeah look it's you know you talk about again I talk about things that are humbling and it's probably an overused term but it's you know.
[52:20.000 --> 52:23.000] It's something at the end of the day that you know it keeps you going right.
[52:23.000 --> 52:34.000] I mean look I don't do what I do because of the kind words of you know Lou or others you know I do it for the impact on the community or the impact on the people right in need.
[52:35.000 --> 52:42.000] It's great to be recognized for stuff like that and it's taken me a while to be able to say yeah okay yeah.
[52:43.000 --> 52:56.000] I get it because you know it's just not who I am it's not in my DNA to sit there I had a you know the hardest thing I've had to do is on like was on chopped I think it was and they're like they wanted me to.
[52:56.000 --> 53:04.000] They're like why won't you smack talk to others and I was like because if I do I might lose somebody to not want to be a volunteer.
[53:05.000 --> 53:19.000] Yeah and they looked at me and they're like what do you mean I said look if I treated people the way you want me into smack talk and I get smack talk and I was I was in sports I was in I get it but at the end of the day.
[53:20.000 --> 53:35.000] This is about the people around me that I want to surround myself with that that no food that know these things that I might need that person someday for an event or you know and they may look back going man he was an a hole to me on that show.
[53:36.000 --> 53:44.000] Now they can crucify me all they want I was rejected a lot of college I got pretty thick skin you know so you know.
[53:45.000 --> 53:51.000] It's one of those things that you know you hear these and it's it makes you smile it makes you feel good.
[53:52.000 --> 54:02.000] But it also makes you realize that you're building something that's going to hopefully you know be around way way past you and your kids you know so your grandkids can say oh yeah that was my grandpa.
[54:03.000 --> 54:13.000] Yeah wow that's tremendous tremendous so definitely look forward to meeting you guys Lewis I want to give you a chance to kind of give us some final takeaways and maybe remind people why come to the festival.
[54:14.000 --> 54:23.000] Obviously you want to meet Stan you want to support Operation barbecue relief but why are folks who want to come to the Carolina barbecue festival and what are you hoping they take away from it when they do.
[54:24.000 --> 54:43.000] You know I want people to come and enjoy the barbecue camaraderie in the community get to know some of the we have a lot of great barbecue in the Carolinas and a lot of those folks are going to be there and you don't always get the chance to you know drive down to the middle of nowhere in South Carolina or out all the way out in the
[54:44.000 --> 54:57.000] area to go see Matthew registered you know you don't get those opportunities so we can bring them all in centralize them you can taste food from everybody you got 15 16 there might be a few surprises maybe it hits 20 I don't know.
[54:59.000 --> 55:13.000] You know we're always inviting people doing stuff and people want to get involved too and I have a hard time saying no but what I want them to take away is hanging out in the middle of uptown Charlotte with barbecue.
[55:13.000 --> 55:41.000] Some good music and all like minded people right so everybody there knows that yes you're purchasing a ticket you you get to taste from all the pitmasters and all this kind of stuff but you know you're all there to support these foundations that are out there doing good work and you know if they can all have that and walk away knowing that they accomplish something that day or they donated that day or they were part of something that
[55:41.000 --> 55:46.000] as impactful as folds of honor and operation barbecue relief and hunger heroes.
[55:46.000 --> 56:02.000] I mean those the impacts that those people those organizations have on their communities and all of our communities you know for me it's like I said I like to see where my money goes and to have all the organizations there represented in you know getting to talk with them
[56:02.000 --> 56:21.000] stand or probably sign an autograph if you asked them to you know but to really talk to people and see it I want them to walk away knowing they made a difference you know because I don't know Stan could probably tell you you know for every dollar how many meals he gets out of a dollar
[56:21.000 --> 56:26.000] and I think of people right as many as we used to.
[56:26.000 --> 56:29.000] Well yeah I get a friend.
[56:29.000 --> 56:39.000] So how many meals he gets out of five dollars right but you know when you start thinking about it on that scale and you think about your ticket price you're feeding a lot of people.
[56:39.000 --> 56:41.000] Yeah absolutely.
[56:41.000 --> 56:43.000] That's the difference.
[56:43.000 --> 56:50.000] Fantastic well you guys have been extremely generous with your time I want to wrap it up with the showdown and Lewis don't give him any hints here because I know something like that.
[56:50.000 --> 56:55.000] I know some of these questions are really hard but Stan I want to run you through these right quick.
[56:55.000 --> 57:02.000] Alright some easy answers and then I might probe you a little bit more for some additional information so the low and slow showdown.
[57:02.000 --> 57:09.000] And you're cooking you want gas charcoal pellets or wood.
[57:09.000 --> 57:19.000] So I've always been a wood guy we're using a little charcoal to keep the heat going but you know it's not quite the same if you're you're using it's not quite the same.
[57:19.000 --> 57:31.000] And if you're using you know pellets or you know and you know I have a great sponsor that has propane and I love them but that's more for grilling than low and slow.
[57:31.000 --> 57:35.000] Yeah definitely got a blue rhino hooked up on my grill right now use a lot of their stuff too.
[57:35.000 --> 57:38.000] When you're using wood what's your favorite wood.
[57:38.000 --> 57:39.000] Pecan.
[57:39.000 --> 57:40.000] Hands down.
[57:40.000 --> 57:45.000] It's not quite as hard well it's not as harsh as Hickory.
[57:46.000 --> 57:52.000] You know it's almost on the same I would say note is like a post oak.
[57:52.000 --> 58:07.000] It's a little bit more or mellow you know and it gives it a nice smoke and you take that and you add a little cherry to it I think you have like the combo platter of wood when it comes to you know especially on the competition trail.
[58:08.000 --> 58:15.000] Yeah the combo platter of woods I like that pecan with a piece of cherry in there so when you're cooking do you want or eat really even eaten.
[58:15.000 --> 58:18.000] Pork beef chicken or something else.
[58:18.000 --> 58:24.000] Boy you know I answer this question it depends on what part of the country I'm in really.
[58:24.000 --> 58:31.000] You know if I'm in Texas I'm probably not looking at the chicken too much of the pork I'm looking at I'm looking at just beef.
[58:31.000 --> 59:00.000] If I'm in the Carolinas man I'll tell you what to this day the best the best whole hog sandwich I've ever had Sam Jones made for me right off of a hog with you know and set there and broke up with his fingers the cracklings on top of that thing before you know and I'll tell you what if I did what Sam and his team did with vinegar and hot sauce and salt it tastes like I poured vinegar hot sauce and salt on that pork and just as a magical thing.
[59:00.000 --> 59:13.000] Yeah for sure and a great answer there of course you know Lewis will tell you that the beef is starting to kind of spread into the Carolinas with John G and Dylan Cook down in South Carolina really more Texas flavor showing up around here.
[59:13.000 --> 59:29.000] Look I think I think you know as as people have started traveling the world you start seeing it everywhere I mean you know I've had amazing barbecue in New York City and you know it'd be like the pace pecan isos you know your commercial right in the city you know.
[59:29.000 --> 59:55.000] But at the same time you know you know I don't want to leave out that some of the best chicken I've ever had in my life you know came out of Decatur Alabama and you know Big Bob Gibson you know that it's a magical place watching them dip that and because I'll tell you what white barbecue sauce isn't you know not really barbecue sauce but when it was done that way it was it was a pretty amazing.
[59:55.000 --> 01:00:01.000] Absolutely so with kind of that note what is the best state in these United States for barbecue.
[01:00:01] I am no where going to even come close to answer that's that's that's like that's like me you know smack talk and others that I want to be you know get involved with the organization.
[01:00:11] I was like look you know again it comes down to you know you know look I don't know that anybody can do burn ins the way Kansas City can.
[01:00:22] It's just like I don't think anybody does beef ribs away Texas does don't think anybody does dry ribs the way you know Memphis does I don't think anybody does a whole hog the way Carolinas do.
[01:00:34] And don't get into the sauce there because I can't even begin to talk you know East Carolina versus you know I mean look I'm somebody that loves it all you know I might have lost 35 pounds or 40 pounds over the last few years you know.
[01:00:50] I still you know eat a lot and I'm still a pretty big boy at that and and I can't stop you know I mean everything is so good.
[01:01:02] Definitely a political answer Lewis.
[01:01:06] I agree smart smart man don't want to upset anybody so I'll leave the question about Eastern versus Western and that type of thing out of here but do you have a favorite barbecue restaurant.
[01:01:18] Where do you go when you want to have barbecue.
[01:01:21] So you know it I probably have some go to places in different parts of the country right you know.
[01:01:29] Here in Kansas City there's been a couple it depends on you know if people come to town they want barbecue right I'm like okay do you want to sit down place where some somebody's coming in taking your your order or you talking about you really want the experience
[01:01:44] and line and you know all that.
[01:01:47] You know I set up a meeting with a guy and he's like I don't want you to take me the best place and I said well okay where are you at in town.
[01:01:55] That's going to sort of dictate where we go and so you know we're going to go to Slaps barbecue in Kansas City and it's great barbecue.
[01:02:04] You know but Q39 I tell everybody you want to go sit down someplace.
[01:02:10] You know Jack Stacks okay but go to Q39.
[01:02:14] Q39 or Slaps.
[01:02:16] You know and then Meat Mitch is a good friend of mine and he opened up and I haven't you know that place is just taken off you know.
[01:02:26] So I mean Kansas City has I mean before the pandemic they were like a hundred and fifteen restaurant you know barbecue restaurants in the metro.
[01:02:35] I don't know what it is today I would have seen that stat but I can tell you what since then there's been some amazing places pop up.
[01:02:42] I mean I tried to eat it a guy's Chef Jay is Chef Jay's barbecue and he's only he doesn't chew Texas stuff like when I'm out I'm out.
[01:02:51] I got to his place one day at about one fifteen in the afternoon on a Friday and he'd been sold out for an hour.
[01:03:00] Must be good you know.
[01:03:02] So but you know if I'm down in Central Texas I've got some you know some good friends down there but you know my friends at Hayes County barbecue down it down there.
[01:03:12] Like they put on a spread last time I was there that I mean I was so disappointed that I didn't grab the last little bit of the beef rib and take it back to the hotel and have it for breakfast the next morning when I woke up because that's what I was thinking about.
[01:03:26] Yeah I got places like that and I have so many friends that are in the business that it is it's hard to say you know because it really depends if I'm in their town or not.
[01:03:37] Now I will tell you the one thing that I try not to do and that is I'll go to my friends places I don't tell them I'm coming because I don't want I'm not asking for a free meal so you know and everybody wants to feed you when you come in.
[01:03:52] And and and true in true fashion I don't really want to see what it's like when just the normal guy walks in and orders off the menu you know to see what I get.
[01:04:02] You know because there are people out there that you know I'm not sure I got you know I'm always getting the the honest piece right you know am I getting the same thing that the other guy that walks in off the streets get.
[01:04:14] Yeah cool so again won't ask you about the sauce eastern western or mustard but I will ask you do you want your barbecue with or without the sauce.
[01:04:24] Personally you know I love sauce on the side because I want to taste the meat before I ever get in there you know I'm I'm you know if I if I do it my way which would never win a competition with a bunch of judges it would always be dry you know it would be on the side.
[01:04:41] Cool okay last one is barbecue a verb or noun.
[01:04:46] I think it depends on the sentence you know at the end of the day you know I think I think my English teacher would tell me I'm wrong but I would say I could make it fit either way just depending on how I did it.
[01:05:03] And there you have it the low down in the final word from the CEO of the Operation BBQ Relief Stand Hays as well as our man the Carolina BBQ Festival founder sweet loo Lewis Donald.
[01:05:15] Guys thank you so much for joining us for the low and slow barbecue show.
[01:05:19] I had a blast thank you guys for having me on.
[01:05:21] Yeah thank you I appreciate it.
[01:05:26] You've been listening to the low and slow barbecue show on the mesh.tv network of podcast.
[01:05:31] Be sure to visit us online at lowslowbbqshow.com you can learn more about the Carolina BBQ Festival and the other pitmasters participating in this year's event.
[01:05:41] At lowslowbqshow.com you can also hear from other Carolina pitmasters like Dylan Cook from Fort Grove BBQ in South Carolina Keith Hinning from Black Powder Smokehouse in Jamestown
[01:05:53] as well as Brandon Shepherd from Shepherd BBQ on Emerald Owl. They'll all be at the Carolina BBQ Festival April 5th and 6th at Victoria Yards in Charlotte.
[01:06:03] Visit lowslowbqshow.com for all the details.
[01:06:07] If you like what you hear on the low and slow barbecue show please follow us and subscribe in your favorite podcast stream.
[01:06:13] We'd love it if you could give us a 5 star rating and more than anything we'd really love it if you share the show with your friends.
[01:06:20] Special thanks to Stan Hayes from Operation Barbecue Relief and Louis Donald.
[01:06:24] He's a pitmaster at SweetLose Barbecue in Charlotte's Belmont Avenue neighborhood.
[01:06:29] Stop by on scene telling the low and slow barbecue show since you.
[01:06:33] Thanks as well to our producer Andrew Moose and the whole team at the mesh.tv network of podcast.
[01:06:39] Most especially thank you for listening to the low and slow barbecue show.
[01:06:43] Remember for the best barbecue and the best barbecue podcast make it low and slow.
[01:06:50] You've been listening to The Mesh, an online media network of shows and programs ranging from business to arts, sports to entertainment, music to community.
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