About 2,000 meals are expected to be served during Saturday afternoon’s Olivet Christian Church’s 67th annual BBQ just east of Columbia’s Old Hawthorne.
Some of the guests have been attending the barbecue for more than 50 years. Olivet Christian Church member Joe Reeder is one of the organizers. Mr. Reeder tells 939 the Eagle that Saturday’s menu is grilled chicken, green beans, potatoes, applesauce and a slice of pie:
“We buy the chicken locally and we put a brine on it. We spray it with this brine and it’s the secret sauce, you know. And then after we slow cook it over coals and then we dip it in our own secret barbecue sauce”
The church is still using the original secret barbecue sauce from 67 years ago.
Children and teenagers are a key part of Saturday afternoon’s BBQ event. Many of the children and teens start early in the morning and work until everything is cleaned up. Olivet Christian Church member Reeder tells 939 the Eagle that it’s a generational event:
“And kids that grew up working that barbecue, they come back to Columbia just to work the barbecue. So that’s awesome to see families reunited and members in town that you haven’t seen in awhile,” Reeder says.
Each year, two youth workers are honored with the Michael Mast award. All proceeds raised stay in the community. Mr. Reeder says 50 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Opportunity Campus homeless shelter being built in Columbia, and the other half goes to outreach programs that the Olivet church supports. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door, and a children’s meal is $5.
Saturday’s BBQ is from 3-6 pm and is drive-through only.
