Treetops Senior-Q IV, Broken Arrow OK
Saturday, October 18th, 2008
Presented by Hot Wire BBQ and Friends
It's October in Broken Arrow OK, and the residents of the Treetops Apartments know only too well what that means - the smell of sweet smoke and barbecue will soon be wafting throughout the courtyard and into the apartments windows (many of which are open so that they can catch the smells of the pre-dawn fires starting up.)
In the early morning hours of October 18th, the cooks started gathering in the courtyard of the apartment complex. We (Robert and Keri Cathey of Hot Wire BBQ) came in on Friday night and spotted our DPP Fat 50, our homemade Stumps clone, and the cargo trailer. Steve and Kim Story of Bedlam BBQ came in around sunrise on Saturday with their own Stumps clone, giving us a total of around 90 sq feet of cooking space. The community room of the complex was unusually busy for an early Saturday morning, as residents bustled in and out to watch the action and observe the cookers chugging away in preparation for their feast, speculating on the day's menu.
As the morning progressed and the coffee pot perked, more volunteers arrived. Bob and Mary Ann Hastings, Master CBJs and part-time Hot Wire BBQ team members, showed up early to help with meat prep. The Story's and the Hastings have been very involved in the Treetops Senior-Q festivities for the last few years, and it would be hard to imagine making it work without their help. Joshua Seabolt, chief cook of the first year team "Dazed and Confused BBQ", also joined us this year, and proved that he is anything BUT dazed and confused when it's time to make the meat meet the heat.
The closer we get to the noon "turn-in time", the more we see residents staking out their favored tables and settling in to watch the preparations. Our other volunteers that will be serving and helping with the inside duties are all there by 10:30 for a staff meeting. Jeff Hughes and son John came in to help dish up desserts and lend a hand. Tom Hankins brought in pans and pans of his famous potato salad - the residents, the cooks, and all the volunteers always look forward to Tom's tater salad! My protégé and student of BBQ 16-year-old Justin Dean is there with his parents Robin and JoAnn, and Justin was pleased to be promoted to chicken detail instead of just playing "gopher" for Keri as he's been doing at competitions for several years. Steve and Sharon Calvert have been coming out to help since the beginning, and their help has always been invaluable.
Music, provided by recording artist Monica Taylor and her picker-friend Gerry Lay, started around 11:30 a.m. to get the residents and guests in the mood. Treetops resident Eddie Holt brought his guitar and joined in the music. The crowd and the other music makers were delighted to have him join in. The pickin' and the old-time harmony was enjoyed by all. Monica was recently featured on a live broadcast of NPR's Prairie Home Companion.
The double buffet opened about 12:10, and guests and residents alike seemed pleased with the speed of the buffet line. We served around 200 guests and residents generous portions of pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked sausage, Hog Apple Beans, pineapple slaw, potato salad, and a dessert assortment of apple, peach, and cherry cobblers along with pumpkin pie. Meals were also delivered to the rooms of residents who requested room service. Patrick Elliot donated his great Sa-Mokin barbecue sauce for this year's Senior-Q. The residents were very impressed with the flavor, and were greatly pleased to find out that they could buy it locally.
Smiles were evident all around the room - many of the residents have told us that this is the major social event of the year at Treetops, and several residents even plan small family reunions around the event. They look forward to this event for months in advance, and we're very happy to be able to bring it to them each year.
Keri's grandmother Mickie Newman is 88, and she is the reason we originally chose this group of Seniors. Many residents have started asking that if she has to move somewhere else will we continue to feed them. This has become a very special occasion to us, our volunteers and the residents. I don't know who gets the most from this small effort that we put out each year. We have lost many Treetops friends since we started doing this, but each year brings us new friends.
Hot Wire BBQ, along with Bedlam BBQ, Dazed & Confused BBQ, Jeff Hughes BBQ, and our other volunteers challenge each competition team to find 1, 10, 100, or 10,000 seniors to cook for in October. It does not have to be big or elaborate - it just needs to come from the heart. Tell them that we love them, that we appreciate them, that we are grateful for their sacrifices and the lessons that they have taught us. One of these days someone may be cooking Senior Que for us.
Keri C, Hot Wire BBQ
Still Smokin' on Tulsa Time
