BBQ breaks record

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KIDRON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

By JACQUI L. HERSHBERGER
DGKN correspondent

KIDRON  Barbecue chicken lovers who wanted a taste of Kidron’s 63rd Chicken BBQ this year had to go early.

Those who missed out don’t need to be too disappointed. The Kidron Volunteer Fire Department is making plans to fire up the grills again later this month.

The KVFD set several records during this year’s chicken barbecue. They made more chicken than ever—5,800 halves; they sold out in one and a half hours; and they made more money than ever before.

At 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4, they started serving chicken only at Central Christian School. Chicken meals were served at Kidron Park starting at 4:30 p.m. It took them most of the day – six hours, including an hourlong rain delay – to grill the juicy meat and spray the halves with the department’s mouth-watering barbecue sauce.

Many firefighters, family members and other volunteers make the event possible. Thirty-one halves are placed on a rack and 15 racks are on each pit. Once the racks are on the pits they are sauced with KVFD’s very own special sauce until they are ready to be taken off and placed in coolers.

For safety during the pandemic, all servers wore masks and people were served in their cars.

Two firefighters organized the lines of cars to move smoothly. The Kidron Merchants, a group of employees from Kidron businesses, also helped with the barbecue.

All activities were canceled. No pony cart rides. No music performers. No Kiddie Tractor Pull.

“The pandemic played to our favor because it’s difficult right now to get out and do anything,” said Gary Falb, president of the KVFD board.

The community certainly got out to get chicken and support the KVFD.

The money that was raised will be split between a tanker and a new station. To build a new station, the other buildings the department has been using will be torn down and a new one will be put up on the same spot. More information about the building project is available at www.kidronfire.com.

The goal is to raise $2,620,967 for this project. To donate, checks may be made to KVFD, Attn: Building Fund, PO Box 155, Kidron OH 44636.

Because the chicken sold out so quickly Aug. 4, organizers heard that many were disappointed. So, the KVFD has decided to have another barbecue on Aug. 29, for chicken only, and plans to release more details soon.

“The fire dept. is extremely grateful and thankful for the outstanding support that we continue to receive from our great community,” Falb said.