Glen Ellyn BBQ helps homeless families

Glen Ellyn’s Backyard BBQ Cook-Off returns for a fourth year of food, fun and festivity in a relaxed, down-home atmosphere.

Glen Ellyn’s fourth annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off Competition is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Glenwood Avenue lot in downtown Glen Ellyn. Admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and relax and hang out for the afternoon. Proceeds support Bridge Communities’ programs to help homeless families in DuPage.

“What started in 2009 as a small, block party-like BBQ contest for a bunch of amateurs with a love of BBQ and delusions of grandeur has grown to a full blown event in downtown Glen Ellyn,” says Bob Solak, bags tournament coordinator for the 2012 BBQ.

Both amateur and seasoned barbecuers are taking their backyard talents to downtown Glen Ellyn in hopes of winning bragging rights. Forty six teams will be competing in this year’s BBQ competition. Judging is 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Competition categories are Best Ribs, Best Dish and — new this year — People’s Choice Award for Best Sauce.

While grilled and smoked meats will take the spotlight, there is much more to the event than just BBQ. Food vendors include Smokin’ Wills, Brand BBQ Market, Tap House Grill and Dippin’ Dots.

Glen Ellyn resident Tom Koprowski is a barbecue enthusiast and co-founder of the BBQ who goes by the nickname “Pig Daddy.”

“This year’s music lineup is fantastic,” Koprowski said. “We’ve got Amy Kelly with the Bill Ande Band returning, along with Buzz Kilman and the Blues Rocket Scientists and Cadillac Dave and His Chicago Red Hots also performing. It’s going to be great.”

In its second year, the Bags Tournament welcomes two-person teams for a double-elimination format competition. The tournament begins at 11:45 a.m. and ends with the final four beginning around 4 p.m. The first-place team wins a trophy and a set of Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ cornhole boards. The second-place team will receive a trophy. Winners will be announced on the main stage along with the BBQ competition winners. The minimum entry donation is $30 per team, and registration will close after 32 entries are received.

“Everything that we do here funds and supports Bridge Communities’ mission, which is transforming the lives of homeless families in DuPage County by partnering with talented, resourceful individuals and groups in our community,” Koprowski said.

To enter the either the barbecue or bags competitions, participants must submit a form and a fee. Applications for the contests and more information can be found at glenellynbackyardbbq.com.

The Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ is an unofficial community gathering run by neighborhood volunteers and is not affiliated with any organization other than its sponsors and nonprofit beneficiary, Bridge Communities. Questions? Email gebybbq@gmail.com.

The nonprofit Bridge Communities offers a program of transitional housing, mentoring and supportive services to empower homeless families to increase life skills and earning power to promote self-sufficiency, sustain permanent housing, and to break the cycle of poverty within the family unit.

Co-founders Mark Milligan and Bob Wahlgren began helping homeless families in 1988 and since has become a current of change in the lives of hundreds of extremely low to low income at-risk families. For information about Bridge Communities, visit BridgeCommunities.org or contact Mark Milligan at (630) 545-0610, ext. 10, or mark.milligan@bridgecommunities.org.