On the night of October 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane, causing significant destruction in areas still reeling from the impacts of Hurricane Helene just days earlier. Operation BBQ Relief, which had been providing meals in the region in the wake of Hurricane Helene, paused its operations to evacuate safely to Tallahassee, Florida, as Milton approached. Within hours of the hurricane’s landfall, our team returned to the affected areas and resumed meal service by October 12, 2024.
To support the communities impacted by Hurricane Milton on both of Florida’s coasts, we established two primary cook sites in Pinellas Park and Fort Pierce. At the same time, we continued to serve other states recovering from Hurricane Helene. This particular deployment marked a milestone for Operation BBQ Relief, as we proudly served our 12 millionth meal since our founding in 2011 on October 17, 2024.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated volunteers, sponsors, donors, and community partners for making this mission possible. Together, we provided 799,269 meals in 22 days to first responders, residents, and relief workers affected by Hurricane Milton. Your support and compassion are the heart of our efforts. Thank you for standing with us in serving those in need.
