On May 16, Operation BBQ Relief was honored to partner with Volunteer Florida to provide 350 delicious meals to Florida law enforcement officers concluding the 2025 Special Olympics Florida Torch Run in Celebration, FL. It was a privilege to give back to the brave men...

Earlier this month, Operation BBQ Relief proudly participated in Vigilant Guard 2025, a large-scale disaster preparedness exercise, alongside first responders, National Guardsmen, and members of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) in Millington, Tenn....

Operation BBQ Relief was proud to support this year's Fire Ops 101 event, continuing a meaningful tradition now in its third year. In partnership with the International Association of Firefighters, the Pinellas County Fire Chiefs Association, and Clearwater Fire &...

On April 26, 2025, Operation BBQ Relief proudly partnered with the USO to serve 325 hot meals to U.S. Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and their supporters at the Florida Fleet Week “Rock the Night” concert in Hollywood, Florida. Throughout the event, our dedicated...

On April 19, 2025, Operation BBQ Relief (OBR) Region 4 Area Coordinator Randy Hartmann and his wife Karen had the honor of providing 100 delicious meals to the service members and families of the U.S. Army Reserve 339th Movement Control Team, based in Manhattan, Kan.,...

On April 19, 2025, dozens of dedicated Operation BBQ Relief volunteers came together in Tennessee and North Carolina to serve 2,500 Easter meals to communities still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. Thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers and community...

On March 29, 2025, Operation BBQ Relief, in partnership with Wilmer Valderrama, E.P.U., and the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office, returned to West Park in Tampa’s Town 'N’ Country area for a special event supporting the community’s ongoing recovery from...

On March 29, 2025, Operation BBQ Relief had the privilege of providing 100 hot meals at the Lakeview Heights Fire Protection District’s Annual Dinner and Meeting in Lincoln, Mo. It was an honor to support these courageous firefighters whose quick actions helped save...

Operation BBQ Relief was honored to provide 120 meals to the future leaders of the fire service at the Pinellas County Officer Development program as part of The Always Serving Project on March 26, 2025. Over the course of three days, firefighters and fire officers...

On February 9-10, 2025, Super Bowl weekend, the smoke was rolling, and the spirit of giving was alive in Tennessee! Steve Anderson, Operation BBQ Relief’s Area Coordinator for Tennessee, led an incredible team of volunteers in smoking 500 pork butts for the The Rotary...

On Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Md., we fired up the grills at the Horse Soldier Bourbon and Travis Manion Foundation Army vs. Navy tailgates, serving 4,000 meals to Military, Veterans, Families of Fallen Heroes, and their supporters. It was a privilege to give back to...

On Dec. 4-6, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with the Caribbean BBQ Association, Volunteers of America, The United Pearls of Puerto Rico, and the US Coast Guard Culinary Program. Together, we brought 450 hot meals to Coast Guardsmen and their families stationed...

On Nov. 25-26, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with country music artist Tracy Lawrence for his 19th Annual Mission: Possible Turkey Fry! Together with amazing volunteers, community partners, and sponsors, we helped prep and cook 1,600 turkeys, providing...

On Nov. 25-27, 2024, we provided Thanksgiving meals to 13 communities in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Thanks to dedicated volunteers from 10 states, 5,200 meals were provided—1,000 delivered by helicopter to...

On Nov. 11, 2024, we were honored to provide 1,400 hot meals to military veterans and their supporters across four states in celebration of Veterans Day. This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our amazing volunteers and...

On Nov. 2, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief volunteers, under the leadership of David Keith of DRJ Catering, partnered with The HOPE Center and The Presbyterian Church of Toms River to bring hot BBQ meals and winter coats to people in need in Toms River, N.J. In total, we...

We were honored to partner with the Assist the Officer Foundation - Dallas to provide 2,000 meals for their “BBQ for our Heroes” fundraiser held in Dallas, Texas on September 19, 2024. The event raised money for the family of Officer Darron Burks, who was killed in...

The Operation BBQ Relief team, led by our Senior Director of Logistics & Inventory Chris Huggins, was proud to provide 150 hot barbecue meals to the veteran residents of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Veterans Village in Houston, Texas on Aug. 31, 2024. We also...

The Operation BBQ Relief team had an amazing time in Ridgefield, Washington on August 24-25, 2024 at the Ilani BBQ Fest! Our CEO and Co-Founder Stan Hays and the legendary Matt Groark of Groark Boys BBQ led a BBQ Academy for military service members, veterans, first...

On August 2, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief volunteers served 600 hot barbecue meals to cadets, faculty, and staff at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. in honor of the U.S. Coast Guard’s 234th birthday! We were proud to give back to those who give so much...

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers, under the leadership of our Area Coordinator for Missouri Randy Hartmann, served 600 hot meals at the Starbucks ALL.IN event in Kansas City, Missouri on August 2, 2024. This event, sponsored by Starbucks locations across Kansas City,...

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers, under the leadership of our Area Coordinator for North Carolina Scott Jarrett, were on the ground at U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in North Carolina on Aug. 1, 2024,  to celebrate the U.S. Coast Guard’s 234th birthday! They...

On July 20, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief volunteers, under the direction of our Area Coordinator for Southern California Jeff Allen, partnered with Spirit of Texas BBQ to provide 300 meals to those attending a fundraising event for Mooseheart, a residential childcare...

On July 15, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief Volunteers Larry Musch, Roxanne Dirnberger, and Emlyn Thomas provided 100 hot barbecue meals at a Multi-Agency Resource Center set up in Muskegon, Michigan to help 25 families impacted by the recent flooding and dam collapse in...

On July 12, 2024, we teamed up with Seaboard Foods and Prairie Fresh to provide 200 hot barbecue meals to participants and volunteers at Ability KC’s “Day at the Lake” event in Smithville, Missouri. This event provided opportunities for individuals with spinal cord...

We were honored to provide free hot barbecue meals to military veterans and service members at a tailgate before the Racine Raiders Football Armed Forces Appreciation Night game against the River City Rough Riders on July 6, 2024. We are incredibly thankful to our...

The Operation BBQ Relief team was on the ground in Columbia, S.C. on June 15, 2024 at the epic Southeastern BBQ Showdown! We partnered with legendary pitmaster Sunny Lynn Moody to host a BBQ Academy for military, veterans, first responders, and their family members....

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers, led by our Area Coordinator for Alabama Stephen Campbell, were hard at work on June 14 & 15, 2024 providing 300 meals to the veterans and staff at Floyd E. “Tut” Fann State Veterans Home in Huntsville, Ala. as part of the “BBQ With...

When an event we were catering was canceled at the last minute in June 2024, Operation BBQ Relief Volunteers Mike and Elaine Moore made sure none of the food went to waste. They provided more than 100 hot barbecue meals to firefighters with the Kansas City Fire...

On May 29, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief Volunteers Jeff Allen, Ronnie Gilman, and Andrew Steinmetz served 200 hot barbecue meals to first responders at the 2024 San Miguel Firefighters Charitable Golf Tournament in Poway, California. We also educated golf tournament...

During Memorial Day weekend on May 25, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief was proud to participate in the Clearwater Honorfest, an event honoring the memory of the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We provided 250 hot barbecue meals to first...

We were honored to support the Texas Search and Rescue Exercise (TX SAREX) on May 22, 2024, which brought together Texas Task Force 1, first responders, National Guard units, response agencies, and others during a training exercise at Texas A&M Engineering...

On May 10, 2024, we proudly partnered with the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation during their 19th Annual Memorial Weekend in Raleigh, N.C. Operation BBQ Relief volunteers, under the leadership of our Regional Director for Region 2 Louis Pratt, provided...

We were honored to support Arizona Trail Vets during their Veteran Volunteer Work Weekend April 25-28 in the Jacks Canyon area of the Arizona National Scenic Trail located in the Coconino National Forest. Our volunteers, led by Area Coordinator for Arizona Jerry...

Starting on April 27, 2024, and into the first few weeks of May, our area coordinators and supporting volunteers successfully carried out our 2nd Annual “Feeding the Firefighters” initiative held in honor of International Firefighters’ Day on May 4. Throughout this...

Operation BBQ Relief was proud to support the Travis Manion Foundation - Phoenix Chapter, The Mission Continues, Wounded Warrior Project, Team Red, White & Blue, and Team Rubicon at the Earth Day Operation Legacy Service Project in Phoenix, Ariz. on April 20,...

We were honored to support Friends of Freedom and The Heroes Journey at their “Generosity of Scars” workshop on April 13-14, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. This workshop provided veterans, police officers, first responders, family members of fallen heroes, and military...

On Super Bowl weekend, Operation BBQ Relief Area Coordinator for Tennessee Steve Anderson and his team of volunteers were hard at work helping to smoke more than 700 pork butts for the Rotary Club of Franklin Noon annual “Super Butts” fundraiser located in Franklin,...

It’s not every day we get to thank both our human and equine police officers! On Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Jan. 9, 2024, Operation BBQ Relief Volunteers Andy Feest, Joe Clark, and their team provided 50 meals to mounted police officers attending training with...

On January 7, 2024, we continued our commitment to serving our heroes in uniform and their families year-round through The Always Serving Project, when Operation BBQ Relief Volunteer Chris Wilson and his team provided 300 meals to members of the Indiana Army National...

In a very special Always Serving Project event, volunteers from the Northeast traveled to Foxborough, Mass., to provide more than 3,000 meals to Military, Veterans, Families of the Fallen, and their supporters at Travis Manion Foundation’s Army vs. Navy Tailgate. It...

On Saturday September 9th, 2023 Operation BBQ Relief and a few North Carolina disaster partners (Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh - Cape Fear, Legal Aid of North Carolina - Wilmington, & New Hanover County Emergency Management) worked together for a...

On Friday, August 4, Operation BBQ Relief volunteers were on the ground at U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in North Carolina, celebrating the U.S. Coast Guard’s 233rd birthday! They served 5,000 meals to active duty and retired Coast Guardsmen, their family...

On Saturday, July 29, 2023 Operation BBQ Relief served 550 meals at the All In Kansas City Back to School Event, sponsored by Kansas City-area Starbucks stores. In addition to free meals, the event provided backpacks, school supplies, groceries, haircuts, and more to...

In July, Operation BBQ Relief The Always Serving Project volunteers served lunch to 160 veterans at the Asheville VA Medical Center in North Carolina, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing...

Members of the Operation BBQ Relief Area Coordinator Program participated in a Feeding Firefighters Day of Giving event. Our goal was to feed firefighters across the country. Coordinators provided meals to firefighters from the East Coast to the West Coast, providing...

Operation BBQ Relief hosted Days of Giving on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach on St. Patrick's Day. It was a beautiful day to serve the one hot meal that matters. We were grateful to be joined by many of our volunteers and supporters, including the Mayor of...

Operation BBQ Relief hosted Days of Giving on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach on St. Patrick's Day. It was a beautiful day to serve the one hot meal that matters. We are grateful to be joined by many volunteers and supporters including the Mayor of Sanibel Island...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Ashbritt, Food City and Carhartt to provide Christmas dinners to communities in Eastern Kentucky! After providing over 129,000 meals following the historic flood, Operation BBQ Relief volunteers and staff returned to provide holiday...

Operation BBQ Relief hosted a Day of Giving in Montvale, NJ.  5000 meals were provided to the homeless and communities in Paterson,  Bergen, and Rockland Counties. Thank you to sponsors Wegmans and Hotel Nyack for supporting the event!

Operation BBQ Relief thanks Weber Grills, National Turkey Federation, Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread, and West Liberty Foods for teaming up to provide 4000 Thanksgiving Dinners to Marillac St. Vincent Family Services in Chicago. "Thank you for the turkey...

Operation BBQ Relief provided Thanksgiving Dinners for families at Hickory Soup Kitchen in Hickory, NC. "After volunteering with Operation BBQ Relief since 2016 at numerous deployments and events, I have experienced moments that have touched my heart.  As we were...

Families and communities are still rebuilding following the historic devastation from Hurricane Ian.  Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Carhartt and FISH of Sanibel-Captiva, Inc. to provide Thanksgiving meals for the residents in Sanibel Island!  Thank you Carhartt...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with DRJ Catering to host a Day of Giving in Toms River, NJ at The HOPE Center.  Five hundred hot BBQ meals were served to local residents. "It was so great to once again support the Hope Center. During the past five years, we served...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with the United States Coast Guard Aviation Logistics team in Elizabeth City, NC for a 75th Anniversary celebration. Operation BBQ Relief shared pit master techniques with the Junior Culinary Specialist Coast Guard team while cooking...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Seaboard Foods and Prairie Fresh to provide a BBQ lunch for Ability KC at the Day at the Lake event in Smithville, MO. Ability KC provides opportunities for individuals with spinal cord injuries, amputations, and other disabilities...

Operation BBQ Relief cooked BBQ meals for members of the military and their families on Family Day at Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, IL. Operation BBQ Relief volunteers were presented with Certificates of Appreciation for their generosity by the United...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Manchester Tank and Equipment to share the healing power of BBQ with Campbellsville Fire & Rescue and Campbellsville Taylor County EMS!  Thank you to the volunteers and staff that helped provide a delicious meal and highlighted...

Operation BBQ Relief shared the healing power of BBQ with active and retired members of the military and their families at the Floyd E. "Tut" Fann Veterans Home in Huntsville, AL.  We are honored to serve those who serve us.  Thank you to all the volunteers who...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation and  Smokey Dave's BBQ to serve 200 meals to the families of fallen firefighters from the state of North Carolina.  We are honored to serve those who serve us and their families. 

Operation BBQ Relief served lunch at the state of Florida Emergency Operations Center during their mock disaster. Thank you to all the volunteers and staff members that helped share the healing power of BBQ with the emergency management teams.

"Operation BBQ Relief was privileged to serve a VIP dinner to veterans, active military members, and their families. The dinner was hosted by FISH - Friends In Service of Heroes. It is always an honor to cook and serve a meal to those that have given so much. We were...

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers and staff returned to Mayfield, Kentucky to team up with the Gary Sinise Foundation to host an appreciation dinner for first responders.  We are reminded of the powerful impact of a hot meal for communities that are still recovering...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with community leaders in Tampa, FL to share the healing power of BBQ and raise awareness for the fight on hunger.

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Farmers Insurance to provide hot BBQ meals to our nation's heroes at the Armed Services YMCA San Diego. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve those who serve us.

Operation BBQ Relief hosted a Day of Giving at Westy's in Memphis, TN for the homeless. Thank you to the incredible team of volunteers with big hearts that served up delicious hot meals with sides of hope, friendship, and compassion.

Operation BBQ Relief hosted a Day of Giving in northern New Jersey. The event was spearheaded by Regional Director Marc Mangano and a team of dedicated volunteers on the east coast. 3000 meals were distributed to communities in need, shelters, and homebound seniors....

Operation BBQ Relief served meals for veterans participating in the 2nd Annual MO Vets Outdoors Duck Hunt at DuckHorn Lodge.  The event was a great opportunity for camaraderie and friendship for our nation's heroes. We are honored to serve those who serve us.

Operation BBQ Relief and the Giving BAK Foundation cooked and sliced Butterball turkey for Shreveport, LA residents on Thanksgiving.  4000 total meals were distributed at The Salvation Army Shreveport-Bossier, Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission, and Food Bank of...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Hickory Soup Kitchen to provide smoked turkeys to local residents in North Carolina. "We could not have provided these smoked turkeys without the help of Operation BBQ Relief.  Thank you very much for helping us make this event...

Mission accomplished with the Mayor of Flavortown Guy Fieri and The Guy Fieri Foundation! 5000 "off the hook" Thanksgiving Dinners were cooked and delivered in northern California!  Special thanks to Butterball, King's Hawaiian, and Clover Sonoma for the generous...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Hope Faith to provide hot BBQ meals on Veterans Day to veterans experiencing homelessness  in the Kansas City area.  We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our nation's heroes.

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with the Gary Sinise Foundation to share the healing power of BBQ with staff and veterans at Fayetteville VA NC Coastal Health Care System.  We are honored to serve those who serve us.

Operation BBQ Relief hosted a Day of Giving in Toms River, NJ that served 1000 hot meals to local residents. "This is our fourth year back helping feed our community that one hot meal that matters. It is always amazing to see what that hot meal can do for someone and...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Area Coordinator Tony Olive, Pitmaster Andrew Darneille, and Smokecraft Modern Barbecue to provide 300 BBQ meals to members of the military and their families in Fort Belvoir, VA.  We are honored to serve those who serve us.

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers served 600 BBQ meals to first responders at the United States Police and Fire Championships in San Diego, California. We are honored to serve the one hot meal that matters to those who have dedicated their lives to serving others.

Operation BBQ Relief cooked delicious BBQ meals for the Daughters of the American Revolution in Hillsville, Virginia. The Daughters of the American Revolution then delivered those meals to homebound veterans.

Operation BBQ Relief served 500 meals working with The HOPE Center and DRJ Catering. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers for making this event a success. "We deeply appreciate Operation BBQ Relief's commitment to our community in this time of need." - Mayor Maurice...

Operation BBQ Relief hosted a day of giving with Smokey Dave's BBQ in Roxboro, NC to provide 300 meals to first responders in Person County. We are honored to serve those who serve us!

Operation BBQ Relief provided over 1000 holiday meals in Memphis, TN. Thank you to Westy's, Lindenwood Christian Church, and volunteers that helped share the one hot meal that matters during the holiday season. The meals helped provide hope, friendship, and compassion...

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with the Giving BAK Foundation to provide over 3000 turkey meals in Shreveport, LA to Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission and The Salvation Army Shreveport-Bossier.

Operation BBQ Relief served 1000 meals to the community in Toms River, New Jersey. "We are so happy to be helping out our town and our neighbors. It is amazing to see what a hot meal can do to nourish the soul." -David Keith, Owner, DRJ Catering, Operation BBQ Relief...

Operation BBQ Relief provided 150 meals at Community LINC. Participants visited with Santa while enjoying hot chocolate and delicious desserts. Community LINC's mission is to end homelessness, impact poverty, and remove barriers to self-sufficiency for the families...

Operation BBQ Relief provided 1100 hot meals to the Hope Center In Toms River, New Jersey.

Operation BBQ Relief conducted a Day Of Giving at Ft. Bragg, NC to feed 1,200 members of the Special Warfare Medical Group. These troops are some of the most highly trained and specialized individuals in the military.

Operation BBQ Relief hosted a Day of Giving with Farmers Insurance. It was Farmers Insurance’s 90th Anniversary, and they worked to do 90,000 acts of kindness. We served meals in conjunction with the Veterans Community Project.

Operation BBQ Relief prepared a Military Appreciation Holiday Dinner for nearly 225 military members and their families near Whiteman Air Force Base.

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers worked with New Harmony's Community Outreach to hand out Butterball Turkeys to families in need.

Operation BBQ Relief teamed up with Seaboard Foods. We prepared lunch for individuals and volunteers at Ability KC’s A Day at the Lake event. Seaboard Foods employees and Operation BBQ Relief volunteers served lunch to approximately 250 individuals involved in the...

Operation BBQ Relief volunteers gathered at Eva's Village for a memorable Easter Sunday Day of Giving. They did a terrific job preparing and serving a delicious meal to residents of the facility.

Louisiana State Lead Bryan Roppolo celebrated Operation BBQ Relief Day of Giving by preparing over 1200 Thanksgiving meals in partnership with The Salvation Army USA. We are thankful for all of the volunteers who gave up their holiday to help others.