Camp Craig Allen

Well, we had a successful event this past weekend. We raised over $50,000 at our B-B-Q Cook Off. This was a fundraiser for Camp Craig Allen. This will be a camp that has no age limits so that people of all ages with disabilities can go to a place and spend a week where it is not about what they can't do.....but about what they want to do! You can see more at http://www.campcraigallen.com/

I headed out on Friday morning to help with setting up and when I got to Bass Pro Shop, this was my mode of transportation

Nothing like driving this baby around to make you feel important....all the little people had to hike it on foot...not me....I got the gator! : ) Really I just had it until I got my judges tent set up...then I had to pass it on to those that needed it.

This is my before and after shots of my little judges area. It's not much to look at, but I did the best with what I had to work with! : )

After setting up all day Friday, we started the official cook off - my friend Amanda rang the official bell to get it all started.

Friday night we had a party for the teams with the band 10 Mile Crossing playing and food and fun. Maleah and I played washers with a cook off team....we aren't playing washers here....just tryin' to look pretty! : )

So, after the party on Friday night, we were back up bright and early Saturday to get the real show on the road. I had the honored position of being judges coordinator for the second year in a row. Which means I stay in the tent all day and run the actual judging during the cook off. We had lots of Fire Chiefs out to judge as well as a few retired Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys.


They judged beans, chicken, ribs, wild game, and brisket. There were 44 teams - so that's a lot of meat to eat!

I got to see some friends from Camp John Marc

We had power hockey and professional wheelchair basketball players out playing. They had a 5 on 5 challenge where able bodied people could pay to play against the "professionals"

by they way, the "professionals" went undefeated....

There were teams from all over with all kinds of cookers and decorations...

This was a FDNY 343 Fire Engine
we had a group from NYC compete!

This is Mrs. Baird's Ultimate Smoker
Yes - it is a semi truck sized smoker!








Our Denton Fire Dept cooked
on an actual fire engine converted
to a smoker....so very cool!






A guy took 6 months to build this smoker....and yes....it actually cooks meat....









More cute decorations..........







These guys didn't have decorations...they just wanted
their picture taken! : )


It was a long, fun weekend....and worth every bit of the hard work that it took! I hope we are raising awareness and will be making a difference in people's lives. I hope that this will be a place where so many special people can live out their dreams and make lifelong friends - like the ones I have made so far with these great people!

Join us next year - Bass Pro Shop - The weekend of 9-11! See ya there!