Thanks Everybody!

Howdy All,

We just wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to the many, many supportive friends, family, neighbors and businesses who have taken their time and resources to help us. Without your support, Glen Ellyn’s 2nd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off would not have been possible.

We would also like to thank each of our contestants for choosing to compete in our Cook-Off. Our goal is to become the most fun, highest quality, authentic BBQ experience in the Western Suburbs while giving everyone in town and from out of town a true taste of the best of Glen Ellyn in terms of both food and local character. With your participation, we are well on our way to accomplishing this.

Together with your support, we raised over $1,000 for Bridge Communities, Inc., a local Glen Ellyn grass-roots charity dedicated to transitioning the lives of homeless families.

We hope that our neighbors, Glen Ellyn folk, out of town people, friends and family loved the feel of our event. There was great food and great atmosphere. We intended our event as structured be really different for a public event like that, very intimate and authentic hospitality and community.

Glen Ellyn's best asset is its single family residential neighborhood character. At our BBQ Cook-Off, families were hanging out on their lawns and the parkway and the street just having a good time, but definitely had some world class BBQ going on all around them.

Besides family and friends enjoying a great American tradition by bringing grills out of the backyards to the front yards for a day, we had unique American food in BBQ and unique American music in the blues. So on that note, I’d also like to thank Amy Kelly & the Bill Ande Band.

Whether it's jazz, blues, soul or gospel, live music draws a crowd. It's also that something special that creates a sense of community. Amy Kelly was the heart and soul of our event. She's a terrific performer and earned herself tons of new fans. There is something about her music and her ability to relate to a crowd that separates her from the rest.

We’d also like to thank Politically Incorrect, a local grade school band. Because of the rain, we weren't able to listen to all of their sets, but based on the few songs they did play, no one can deny how truly talented these kids are.

Glen Ellyn’s 2nd Annual backyard BBQ Cook-Off was a lot of fun. In only its second run, we hope it scored well enough in terms of enjoyment, entertainment, uniqueness, and capturing the spirit of the town at its best and one of the great American traditions - BBQ to rank right up there with other great events that blend Glen Ellyn and American traditions and fun like the 4th of July or Jazz Fest! We've got a great town and great event, in large part because of each and every one of you who all made it possible. Thank you!

Can't wait to do it again next year!

All the best,
 
Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski