Mike “Jet Blue” Schwirian, the 2023 Operation BBQ Relief Innovation Award recipient, has been an integral part of our volunteer family for seven years. He volunteers hundreds of hours each year and goes above and beyond in service to our mission.
“I have a competition team with the Florida BBQ Association and heard about OBR through some of the other teams,” Jet Blue said. “ Listening to the other guys talk about their experiences with OBR convinced me that I wanted to help out if I got the chance.”
He soon got his chance when Hurricane Irma hit Estero, Fla. in 2017. Jet Blue deployed to help feed “The One Hot Meal That Matters” to people in need.
“I was there for only three days but was very impressed with the operation and the people,” Jet Blue said. “I knew that going forward I would try to do what I could to help out.”
Since then, Jet Blue has become one of our most steadfast volunteers. He has volunteered on numerous disaster deployments, including our most recent deployment to Florida to help feed those impacted by Hurricane Debby. He also supports many of our events through The Always Serving Project, our program that serves military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
“My best advice to new volunteers would be to come with an open mind. The operation is rarely what people think it’s going to be,” Jet Blue said. “It sometimes feels like organized chaos but once you settle in it starts to make sense.”
Jet Blue also had heartwarming words to share with prospective volunteers.
“After seven years and many deployments and functions, my favorite thing about OBR is all the people I’ve worked with over the years,” Jet Blue said. “If you’re thinking about volunteering with OBR, know that you’re going to be working alongside some of the best people you’ll ever get to know.”
To join our volunteer family, download our “OBR Volunteers” smartphone app or visit our website at https://operationbbqrelief.org/volunteer-obr/.
