Del Rio, Laughlin team-up for brisket fundraiser

  • Published
  • By Technical Sgt. Joel Langton
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Del Rio citizens and Laughlin members teamed up to sell more than 2,000 plates of brisket March 14 lowering the price of tickets for hundreds of Airmen for Laughlin's Dining-Out in April.

When Del Rio members heard that Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, was going to be the guest of honor for the wing Dining Out, community members knew there was one thing to do.

In addition to contributing support during the event, community members also wanted to lower the price of tickets for Airmen and their families.

"It was a great opportunity for us to ensure that everyone that wanted to attend this event could," said Mr. Tod Townsend, local businessman and civic leader.

So, Mr. Townsend and Mr. John Campbell, Del Rio Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs' Association president, lead a cavalry of civic groups and businesses that sponsored one of the biggest brisket sales in recent history.

"We heard about the Dining Out and Chief of Staff's visit at MAA," said Mr. Townsend. "Everyone said we're really honored to have him coming here and we're going to do everything possible to show him a first class operation."

The first order of business for the local group was lower the ticket prices for the Dining Out.

The ad hoc committee sponsored a brisket sale, a tried and true fundraiser in Del Rio.

"It's the one proven way to raise money in Texas, especially Del Rio," said Mr. Campbell.

Mr. Townsend, who shares a secret recipe with Mr. Bullet Beard that has won awards as the best brisket in Texas, quickly stepped up to make the brisket while a number of Laughlin members stepped up to lead the effort.

Not only did Mr. Townsend make the brisket but collected 1600 pounds of brisket, 30 gallons of pickles and jalapenos, 300 pounds of onions, 32 gallons of barbecue sauce, 240 loaves of bread, 300 pounds of beans and rice, all from Del Rio businesses and individuals that were ready to support the base.

The committee's work did not stop with organizing the event and collecting donations of food, but the hardest part may have been the last hurdle, actually cooking 1,600 pounds of brisket.

Cooking 1,600 pounds of brisket takes about 12 to 15 hours on three giant grills the size of trucks. Committee members camped out at the Lion's Hut on Fox Drive in Del Rio and cooked brisket from 4 p.m. Friday until about 7 a.m. Saturday. Many worked their jobs during the day, then came to cook throughout the night and into the next day.

Nearly 75 volunteers from Laughlin chipped in and prepared lunches and then passed them to ticket holders that pulled in front of the civic center.

According to Maj. Casey Ratliff, dining-out project officer, the event was a huge success. "The biggest wow is the community support," said Major Ratliff. "I've never seen support like this."

The base and town raised more than $15,000 for the dining-out, and according to Townsend, there was a very simple reason. "We love Laughlin," he said. "If we didn't have Laughlin, we wouldn't have a town."