(Awarded First Place at KCBS Awards Banquet)
Treetops Senior-Q II - October 28, 2006
Once again we brought the fun of October BBQ to the Treetops Seniors' Apartment Complex in Broken Arrow, OK. Last year we fed about 40 - this year, due to word of mouth (and a newspaper article the came out in the Tulsa World about us a few weeks before the function) the attendance more than tripled. This year it also worked out that we were able to combine the Senior-Q with the Make A Difference Day program, and thus we are registered as an official Make-A-Difference-Day event as well. In the interest of combining Senior-Q with Make-A-Difference-Day in the future, we plan on making the 4th Saturday of October the official date for the Treetops Senior-Q from here on.
About 140 seniors from Treetops and some close family members (we lost count) were served an all-you-can-eat-or-take-home-with-you barbecue buffet feast featuring pulled pork, barbecued chicken and smoked sausage with our "Hog-Apple Barbecue Beans", potato salad, corn on the cob, and apple and peach cobblers. Old-style folk music and bluegrass was supplied by the Farm Couple (Monica Taylor and Patrick Williams) with help on the banjo from "English Bob", a master carpenter and banjo-maker from England who is currently touring the U.S.
Attendance was so large that management rented three additional extra-large folding banquet tables and 50 additional folding chairs just for this event. The theme for the day appeared to be good food, good music, big smiles, and lots of laughter. Both the complex manager and my grandmother, a resident at that complex, have continued to filter glowing reports back to us reporting that the volunteers treated them like royalty, that the food was wonderful, and that their appreciation for their Barbecue Party was immense. I'm told that there are residents who were rarely ever seen and that never participated in social functions at the complex before the Senior-Q. We were pleased to find out that almost every resident in the complex attended the Senior-Q, and most were happily visiting with other residents, making new friends, and enjoying the barbecue and the bluegrass. It has been verified to us that there are at least fifteen previous "hermits" who, as a direct result of this year's Senior-Q function, are now frequenting the community room, chatting with other residents, and just in general becoming much more interactive with others at the complex. Sure, the good reports on the food are great (though the trips back for 2nd, 3rds, and take-homes verify that more than the words, as you know), but the fact that we were able to be the catalysts of getting some people out and involved with others again means more to me. I have to admit that our Senior-Q judges are more important to us that the anonymous six at a KCBS table that might eat a bit or two of our cooking at any given competition and then go on to the next box.
I received the note below from the residents' association of Treetops.
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Monday, Oct 30, 2006
Dear Robert, Keri, and BBQ crew,
Just a note to let you know what a wonderful day you provided for the residents of Treetops Apartments. Everyone enjoyed their day - I know you did lots of work and we appreciate everything you did. I know God will bless you for making such a special day for all of us here at Treetops.
Thanks always,
Residents of Treetops Apartments
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Again, Robert and I greatly appreciate the help of our volunteers. From Public Service Co of Oklahoma, we had Susan M Matlock and her husband Chris; Thomas W Freeman and his wife Dorothy (to whom one grateful resident gave a most charming teddy bear in appreciation of her help); Wes Sirkis with his son Matthew Sirkis and Matthew's friend Lisa Hanley; and Debbie L Brown. From the KCBS side we had Steve and Kim Story of the Three Guys Smokin' competition BBQ team [soon to be cooking on their own as Bedlam BBQ]. You helped remind a lot of special seniors to know that there are those of us that still remember, that still care, and that still recognize the contribution that they've made to our society. I don't think they're going to forget it any time soon.
Oh, and the Treetops folks have also informed me that they don't think it's necessary that we wait until next October to do this again - they're quite ready now!
Regards from Oklahoma,
Robert and Keri Cathey, Hot Wire BBQ
Still smokin' on Tulsa Time
