Evacuees in Oklahoma -- Let's have a BBQ for them

My husband and I will help or contribute meat /side/ or whatever you decided to do.Let me know the specifics.For newbies it would be easier to supply meat and you,Russ, cook it as you are an expert.
I will send phone # on private msg if you need at this point. Kathy

I would love to help. Just let me know what I need to do. I know I can give money , meat , or cook it . I just have the 008 but can cook a few butts or Briskets. I can also get my golf group to help. Let me know by e-mail at drhood88@sbcgolbal.net. I will be going to Ardmore Sept 23,24,25 to play in a golf tournament. I could take what ever to Falls creek that week.

Any way the rest of us can kick in some cash to aid the cause (supplies, meat, sides, whatever...)? I could care less if it's tax deductible or not. Keep us posted!

No political discussions.

I've delete a few political (negative) posts and the responses as it was really confusing to read.

If you want to help...please post.

I'm working with the lady there today to try to figure out what they need and don't need. I'll post as soon as I have any details.

I have no idea what to ask you to do to help, but I'll let you know as soon as I do.

If you wish to assist, just email me or post that desire here and I'll add you to my email list

If you want to discuss, please find the appropriate forum.

This post is about helping others.

Russ

I would like to volunteer to help, and can probably bring a carload of teenagers with lots of energy.

Donna

I would be happy to help. I'm in Broken Arrow. I understand they are running into a problem (in a similar jesture in Texas) with food handling requirements. Do you know anything about the requirements?

BR

No details yet, but I'm aware of the concern some people have in Texas.

I'm sure we can work something out.

Russ

The Falls creek facility apparently has a cooking area where Baptist Gen convention can cook several thousand meals at a time. So maybe they have refrigeration etc and warming areas.Or county Fair grounds.

They just don't have a Smoker and a team that knows how to use it

alrighty then~

Talked with her and I'm waiting for a call from "the man in charge" Gary.

More soon.

Smokin

I live in Florida, too far away to attend when you get everything worked out let me know and I will try to send you some money. As far as refrigation goes check with some of the local trucking companies and see if one of them have a refer trailer they will park on site for a day or two I am sure they will be glad to help. The company that I used to drive for in Florida did that sort of thing all the time for big events that needed the cold storage on site. Hope you get ever thing worked out, and may God Bless your efforts. musserfl@aol.com

Looks like we're going to have to be pretty self contained here. As you can imagine, they're pretty busy, about 1,400 evacuees on site and 250+ volunteers.

I sent an email, but we're looking for lots of meat (brisket, butt, pork loin, pork ribs, sausage) some way to transport it there (my ice chest won't hold that much). I think I have a handle on a smoker and a few volunteers to help prep the meat and slice the meat.

We'll see if it can come together, they're getting tired already of some of the "food" they're having.

Smokin'

Russ,Do you know anyone at the Express Ranch around Yukon? they have lots of cattle(meat) and probably some trucks or something to haul.Bob Funk is Founder of,you know-Express Personnel..

Update.

Starting to firm up details. We have the Beef and Pork Councils of Oklahoma working to provide us enough to cook, so we're ON for this Saturday.

I've sent an email out to those wanting to volunteer.

Many of you have requested how you can help. If we can figure out a way to donate money to help, we'll post some info. I'd prefer a bank/account where you can donate if needed.

CS is offering to leave the smoker there, so we're probably looking at doing this on more than just this weekend. More details on that later.

If you have ideas or requests, just email me:
smokinokie at thebbqzone dot com

Russ

Dear Friend of Cookshack,

I am asking for your help with a project to serve barbecue to 1,500 Katrina evacuees located in Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. These people are living on �MRE� (Meals Ready to Eat), and could use a good homecooked meal. Smokin� Okie, moderator of the Cookshack Barbecue Forum, is organizing the events, assisted by the members of the Cookshack Nation (forum members) and Cookshack employees.

The first meal is scheduled for 11:30am on Saturday, September 10 at Camp Gruber. We need volunteers for Friday evening and Saturday morning into the afternoon.

Cookshack, Inc. is supplying smokers, but the effort needs help with other items, especially meat and side dishes. We are considering doing this each weekend for the next few weeks.

Here is how you can make a difference:

1. Volunteer. If you're interested in donating time, please contact Russ Garrett at smokinokie@thebbqzone.com. We're looking for people to help prepare, smoke and carve the meat. We have to provide full names of volunteers in advance, so let Russ know you are coming and who is coming with you.

2. Donate meat or supplies. If you can�t give time, please help with food. We need large supplies of meat. We can smoke 700 lbs. of brisket; 700 lbs. of Pork butt; or 350 lbs of ribs or pork loins at one time. If you are a meat supplier, or know of one, contact Donna Johnson, Cookshack VP, on her private line at Cookshack: 405-361-2196 or reply to this message.

3. Cash donations. We need cash to purchase additional supplies, but we do not have a bank account set up yet. If you feel comfortable sending the money directly to Cookshack, clearly marked with "Hurricane Evacuee Relief Fund" in the check's memo field, you have our assurance that every penny will be spent on the evacuees. If there is any left after feeding people we will donate it to the American Red Cross. Send to Hurricane Relief, attn: Vickie Thomas, Cookshack, Inc., 2304 N. Ash St., Ponca City, OK 74601.

This is a big job, but no donation is too small. Lots of small donations add up! Please do what you can. It will be appreciated! Current information can be found on Cookshack�s website. Please bookmark this page and refer back to it.

Donna Johnson, VP
Cookshack, Inc.
mailto:d_johnson@cookshack.com
Voice 405.361.2196
www.cookshack.com

Sounds like a plan. Way to go CookShack!

3. Cash donations. We need cash to purchase additional supplies, but we do not have a bank account set up yet. If you feel comfortable sending the money directly to Cookshack, clearly marked with "Hurricane Evacuee Relief Fund" in the check's memo field, you have our assurance that every penny will be spent on the evacuees. If there is any left after feeding people we will donate it to the American Red Cross. Send to Hurricane Relief, attn: Vickie Thomas, Cookshack, Inc., 2304 N. Ash St., Ponca City, OK 74601.

quote:

Donna - Can a donation be made via credit card?

Just a quick update.

Those of you who have volunteered, thank you, you should have email. We're on tap to cook 400lbs of brisket, 400lbs of pork butt, 400 lbs of ribs and 250 lbs of sausage. Two meals on Saturday.

email me if anyone has questions.

Thanks for the support and please donate to the charity of your choice.

Russ

RE: credit card donations

I will find out about this. I don't see why we can't add it to the online shopping cart.

Donna

If you want to make a credit card donation, call me on my private line 405.361.2196 and I will handle it personally. We are putting all the donations in a special bank account and will make sure that every penny goes to the relief effort.

Donna

Many thanks to Cookshack and Donna for handling contributions this way.

And my personal thanks to Smokin for putting together a great smokin' response to feed evacuees. And many thanks to all who have volunteered to help Smokin. If I was closer, I'd be there in person.

As for a donation, my wife and I made a large donation through her employer because the employer is matching funds donated. Figured that was the best way to leverage what I could donate.

Have a great team in place.

Thanks to all the Gruber BBQ Team members:

I'm out of here shortly, back late Saturday. Have the digital camera and lots of "supplies" to go and have a little BBQ this weekend.

Russ and Twila
Bob & Cheryl Easley
Robert & Keri Cathey
Mike Hays (Team: The Smokedelics)
Darcy Hicks (Team: Ring of Fire)
Don Hood (oldcoacher88)
Merl & Carol Whitebook
Noel Alsbrook
Jeff Hughes
David, Carla and Angie Dowell
Donna Johnson

I wish I was there to help serve. My company (MCI) is matching 3-1, so my cash contribution is best served there. Good luck everyone!!!!

Had a great time working with Smokinokie and all of the rest of the wonderfull people helping out at Camp Gruber. I think all of the people there really enjoyed the BBQ!

Old Coacher jumped right in and everyone who came to work, worked their @#$!#!$!# off. Tired, and a lot of work slicing 66 monster briskets (in about 2 hours) and 50 full pork loins (in 45 min--it was turn in time)

I'll post a "full" report, but have to get all the photos collected.

I can't thank the forum members who emails and supported the effort.

If you haven't given, please give and help. It was an inspirational work detail for all the BBQ'ers, we have more stories than we can share, but we'll try.

Smokin'

Do you have plans to go back? I didn't get to help yesterday because of illness, but I would like to work in the future.

Donna

A group from Tulsa is going back next weekend.

Russ and the whole team did a great job. It was my pleasure to be able to participate.

Russ(who looked great on KOTV last night) deserves mucho kudos for his effort in putting this deal together...

I missed it on tv although I did wonder if it woud be covered.

Was the 750 left there?

We contacted tv and newspapers in OKC, Tulsa and Muskogee. Channel 9 said they were going to be there, but I didn't see it on the news last night, so I don't know if they showed or not.

Donna

There was a short piece on Channel 9 which I just saw on channel 53 . I recorded it . It was short but very nice and Russ (SmokinOkie) did a great job!!

I am going to turmn 53 on and maybe it will get re run.
Donna, did you allow the 750 to be left there for other cookers to use?
I can't wait to hear stories from those who went.I imagine there are some people from LA who like to cook! Is that an understatement or what?Are the people from Tulsa cooking something completely different?

As of Saturday at noon the Tulsa people were bringing some large stick burners...

Backyard Burgers is bring their rig as well and doing something like 1000 burgers...

Thanks for sending the video..good to put a face with a name.

I haven't seen the video but Merl sent the transcript, see link below. Like many, my only complaint about the coverage is they didn't cover EVERYONE who helped. I asked them to talk to each of the cooks, but it was serving time and they left to shoot video there.

Gruber Video Transcript

As for future cooks, don't know. Another team is cooking this weekend and I need to talk to Gruber to see what their longer range plans are.

Russ

quote:

Originally posted by KathyE:
[qb] Donna, did you allow the 750 to be left there for other cookers to use? [/qb]

Yes, we decided to leave it for a few weeks in case this turned out to be a weekly event.

Donna

I taped the report on KOTV Channel 6 out of Tulsa, and am working on getting it converted to a WMV file, to send to Russ to go along with all the photos that we all took. I thought they did a very nice job with it.

Robert and I considered it an honor to work with such a great team to help bring a good meal to these wonderful LA folks. And I'd also like to thank Russ and Darcy for the fact that Robert can FINALLY slice a brisket like a pro! And thanks again to Jeff Hughes who took it upon himself to bring his two Big Green Eggs and a turkey burner out and cook for the cooks. Tri-tip fajitas, beans, and fixin's for dinner, and that bacon/egg/potato taquito that I had on Saturday morning was VERY tasty.

Warmest regards from the eastern end of the turnpike,
Keri Cathey, still smokin' on Tulsa Time (aka Hot Wire BBQ)

We had food there? I was too busy to eat...

Here's a link to the video they took, it's a little grainy and doesn't show everyone, but just ignore that Smokinokie guy...

Camp Gruber Press Coverage