Bibs Optional
The Reveille Rotary Boots & BBQ event will be open to the public with taster kits and family entertainment on Saturday, May 12.
By: Carol Beck-Round | Category: Recreation/Leisure | Issue: May 2012
Sampling the barbeque is one of the most popular parts of the Claremore Reveille Rotary Club’s annual Boots & BBQ festival.
You might want to bring your own bib when you attend the 11th annual Claremore Reveille Rotary Club’s Boots & BBQ festival, scheduled for May 11 and 12 at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. Top barbecuers from all over the country will be vying for $12,000 in cash prizes, and event attendees will get to participate in the festivities.
Saturday is a day full of family fun with food, vendors, live horse racing and activities for children, including pony rides and inflatables. Musical entertainment will also be provided to liven up the festival-like atmosphere of this growing event.
According to Richard Mosier, event co-chair, past event winners have gone on to win in other national competitions. “This is no amateur performance,” says Mosier. “This event is certified by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, and trained certified judges will be determining the winners in each category.”
Attendees, however, will help determine the People’s Choice winner. By purchasing a taster’s kit on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for $6, you not only help pick the best finger-lickin’ barbecue, but you will be supporting the philanthropic projects of the Claremore Reveille Rotary Club.
“Attendees will receive a Styrofoam plate so that they can wander through the competition area and sample the fruits of the competitors’ labor,” says Mosier. “Afterwards, they can cast their ballot for the barbeque they thought was the best.”
Approximately 45 teams competed for the trophy and cash prizes last year. Many of those past competitors will be returning this year, according to Mosier. Competition categories include beef brisket, pork ribs, pork butt, chicken and dessert. The awards ceremony is set for 4 p.m.
Mosier emphasizes that this is a family event. In fact, last year’s barbecue winner was a family team. “We have designed this event so that the whole family can come out and have a fun-filled day.”
On Saturday, festival vendors will open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. Professional judging will run from noon until 2:30 p.m., with live horse racing beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Major sponsors of this event include the Cherokee Nation, Jack Kissee Ford, Hydro Hoist and RCB Bank. The Claremore Reveille Rotary meets every Thursday at 6:45 a.m. at the Rogers State University Centennial Room. Their mission is to encourage and promote the ideal of “service about self” as the basis for worthy service projects.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Claremore Reveille Rotary’s projects: personalized dictionaries for Rogers County third graders; building an elementary school in Kenya; water wells in Nicaragua; shoes for Orphan Souls; the Medical Supply Network; End Polio Now; RYLA Student Sponsors; scholarships for area students; Will Rogers Day Parade; United Way; Rotary 4-Way Test Program; Rogers County Reading Program; Red Cross blood drives; Habitat for Humanity; Big Brothers and Sisters; CASA; the Community Garden; Relay for Life; Blue Star Mothers; Claremore Junior ROTC; Rogers County FFA, the Gatesway Foundation and Leadership Training.
“This is our biggest fundraiser,” says Mosier. “It also involves several volunteer groups who help us with this event, including the Claremore High School JROTC and the Claremore High School FFA group.”
For more information about the Claremore Reveille Rotary Club and Boots & BBQ, you can go to the club website at www.claremorereveille.com.
For more information, contact
Claremore Reveille Rotary Club
(918) 342-9544
About Author Carol Beck-Round
After 30 years in public school education, Carol Round retired and moved from Grand Lake to Claremore, Oklahoma in 2005, where she writes a weekly faith-based column which runs in 14 Oklahoma newspapers as well as several national and international publications. Three volumes of her columns have been compiled into collections: A Matter of Faith, Faith Matters and by FAITH alone. She has also written Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to God and a companion workbook, The 40-Day Challenge. This past year she has written three children’s books, a series called Nana’s 3 Jars, to teach children about the value of giving, saving and spending money. All of Carol’s books are available through Amazon. In addition to writing her weekly column, authoring books and speaking to women’s groups, she writes for Value News. She also blogs regularly at www.carolaround.com. When she is not writing or speaking, she loves spending time with her three grandchildren, working in her flowerbeds, shooting photos, volunteering at her church or going on mission trips overseas, and hiking. She is also an avid reader and loves working crosswords and trying to solve Sudoku puzzles.
Claremore Reveille Rotary Club
For more information, contact:
Claremore Reveille Rotary Club
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