Photo courtesy of Bill Marcie.
Proceeds from Asbury UMC’s first BBQ Cook-off and Cornhole Tournament will go toward purchasing pairs of The Shoe That Grows.
Asbury United Methodist Church is hosting its inaugural barbecue challenge this month.
The April 9 event will include a barbecue cook-off and a cornhole tournament, and all proceeds will go toward purchasing pairs of The Shoe That Grows. The shoes come in small and large sizes, and each pair can grow five shoe sizes and last for five years. Its goal is to help children protect their feet from soil-transmitted parasites and diseases, according to theshoethatgrows.org.
Bill Marcie, event organizer for the BBQ Challenge, said a barbecue cook-off has been discussed in the past, and they first heard about The Shoe That Grows last year. This event, he said, helps merge the two ideas.
“It’s a really neat concept,” Marcie said. “People can get a pair of shoes that lasts five sizes, which is huge. We felt like this was the perfect opportunity to put them both together.”
Asbury will use the money raised at the cook-off to purchase pairs of The Shoe That Grows, and those shoes will then be distributed locally and through the church’s Missions in Action group.
Teams can register for the barbecue challenge and the cornhole tournament by going to asburyonline.org/bbq. The entry fee for a four-person barbecue team is $100, and it includes four spectator tickets. Teams can cook ribs, barbecue or brisket and they can sell their food, with 15 percent of sales going toward The Shoe That Grows.
A $250 prize will be awarded for people’s choice and for judges’ choice.
The cornhole tournament has a $15 entry fee per two-person team. First place will win a trophy and cash prize, and second place will receive a cash prize in the double-elimination tournament.
Spectators are also welcome, and tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for kids age 5 to 12 and free for kids under 5 years old. The ticket price includes tastings of all competitors’ barbecue, participation in the people’s choice judging, live music and a kid’s zone. Food and drinks will be available at an additional cost.
For more information, contact Bill Marcie at billmarcie@hotmail.com. To purchase a ticket, visit asburyonline.org/bbq.
Asbury BBQ Challenge/ Cornhole Tournament
- WHEN: April 9, 11 a.m.
- INFO: Teams set up from 8-10 a.m.; cornhole starts at noon; judging at 4 p.m.
- WEB: asburyonline.org/bbq
