Operation Mosul BBQ
In February, 2005, The Smoke Ring received an email from Bill Franz requesting assistance in getting a barbecue grill to his daughter Ryan's unit, the 347th ASMC, stationed in Mosul Iraq. Bill and Ryan are from Kansas City and have a fondness for grilled and barbecue meats. I posted the request to The Smoke Ring BBQ discussion mailing list. Some list members also posted the request on the Virtual Weber Bullet forum.
Donations poured in and we soon had more than enough to ship the grills to Mosul. One list member, Gary Wiviott in Chicago, contacted a local hardware store, Russo Ace Hardware, that sells Weber products about purchasing the grills. They offered to donate a Weber 22 1/2" kettle grill and a Weber Smoky Mountain smoker and also sold us one of each at reduced cost. The donations from the BBQ list paid for a second grill and smoker plus the shipping. The four grills were shipped to Mosul in May. They had their first cookout with the new equipment on June 4.
In addition to the grills, KCBS and the competition BBQ team Tom & Josh's Orgasmic Slabs donated sauces and rubs. Bill Arnold, the creator of Blues Hog BBQ sauce and rub shipped over several cases of his products. We received the following pictures from their first cookout with the new grills. It's great to see the smiling faces on our soldiers who are in harm's way and who are sacrificing so much to serve their country. Hopefully the barbecue equipment and supplies will make their time there a little more pleasant. The generosity of the barbecue community is truly heartwarming.
The following pictures are from their first cookout on June 4. Click on picture for larger image.
The following individuals contributed to the purchase of the grills:
Ace Russo Hardware - Chicago, Jim Stewart, Melvin Boneau, Carl Glenn, Big Jim Whitten, Eddie Thompson, Joe Whittel, Ray Frick, Roy Kennedy, Joe Braly, R.F. Crickenberger, Lucy Baker, Joe Wells, Henry Bacarisse, Keith McGregor, Buzz Dean, Robert King, Tommy Bogus, Chris Allingham, James Rose, Steve Zaransky, Merrill Powers, Kevin Cleek, John Douglas, Leland Reither, Steve Farrin, Thomas Garrou, Jack Wimberly, Dave Peckham, Bill Ackerman, Audrey Neiman, Gary Wiviott, Jack Arras, Mark Stevens, Keri Cathey, Bruce Cook, Jesse Bettis, Garry Howard
                   |