DC area: WeberFest September 29 in Oakton, VA

[mike.stavlund]

If you're in the DC/NoVA/MD area (even just visiting!) you're invited to an event on Saturday, September 29 in Oakton.  It's actually in support of a much larger event, a big day of service at Church of the Good Shepherd.  The largest part of which is assembling ingredients for meals to feed 50,000 people (!!!). 

http://goodshepherdva.com/files/rev_5_08_28_18_website.pdf

When I heard about this event, I thought, 'someone needs to feed all of these people who are feeding others!'.  I mentioned this to the pastor, and he said, "YES, and we will provide the food for the grills!".  Plus we'll have access to their excellent industrial-grade kitchen.

So bring your grills to use/show off, share your ideas for seasoning and cooking enough food to feed several hundred people, and bring your family to enjoy the other events and entertainments offered that day.  Just please don't bring any alcohol, which is banned from church grounds in consideration of those in recovery.  And it wouldn't be a proper WKC gathering if there wasn't some sharing and swapping happening ( @Firemunkee , I'll bring @56MPG 's 26 for you, though it might be a little hot to handle! ).  We'll have some Weber gear to raffle off as well. 

Hope folks can make it!

[56MPG]

YES! This is the Mid Atlantic Meetup we've been waiting for! What better way to spend a day than grilling for others? Who has the traveling WKC meetup banner these days? I have some misc Weber gear I can add to the raffle.

[JEBIV]

Wow, I wish I could make it up for this and show how the WKC is always willing to help those that can't. @mike.stavlund @56MPG let me know if I can send some Weber gear for the raffle, You donating raffle proceeds to the cause I assume

[Firemunkee]

YES! This is the Mid Atlantic Meetup we've been waiting for!

This!

[mike.stavlund]

Thanks for the support!  Marty and I have already had a planning meeting, and other details are coming together as well.  If you can help, we can certainly use you, as we are aiming to feed *300*!!

@JEBIV , thanks for the offer to donate stuff (and I saw your PM, sorry for the delay).  I was actually thinking the raffle would be free, just giving stuff away in the spirit of the day.  But I took your suggestion seriously, even had a meeting with the event organizer.  He said people can donate to the event, but that he expects it to be fully funded.  So he was equally happy with us doing a paid or free raffle...  what is your preference? 

[Firemunkee]

 @dwnthehatch @DrewZ  @DynaGlide @Filibuster @Neil_VT00  @Stocksaf  @Peaspurple  @tomweber731  @tonydig  @Savage13  @YardBurner

[dwnthehatch]

Looks like fun. Unfortunately I will not be able to make it due to my daughters 4th birthday party.

[james1787]

Looks like a good time... I'm due for a trip to VA hopefully in the next few weeks but still waiting on a few things to line up - it won't be this weekend. What a great cause.. I'd gladly pack up a few grills to bring down to help out. Maybe next year..

[56MPG]

WKC really served it up! Beautiful day to fire up some grills and serve the community. No lookers - all cookers this time. @mike.stavlund did the heavy lifting and prepped some amazing pork tenderloins and thighs. Made a real impression on some hungry people who were at the event to package 50,000 meals for charity. @Firemunkee broke in his new 26er, and it performed like a champ. Great example of a community coming together to serve others. I was glad to be part of it.

The traveling banner found its way here, and is ready for it's next adventure. Who needs it next?

Mike wore his weathered warrior WKC shirt. I love the patina!


Not a lot of time for pictures this Meetup. Others may have a few more to share. I love the idea of WKC serving the community. Let's keep it up!

Marty

[Mr.CPHo]

This is awesome, guys, way to represent!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

[Firemunkee]

I didn't get any pictures, and I wasn't there for very long, but it was a great time! I was glad to contribute in some way by lending my new-from-Marty 26er, complete with the Marty bigger better basket plus! I knew it was in good hands so I wasn't worried about it. Looking forward to the next time I can get together with other WKCers.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[mike.stavlund]

Thanks to @56MPG   and @Firemunkee for coming out and sharing so much! Marty is a rock-solid friend, helped with the planning and did all the setup and served as Chef, knowing the whole time what was in each of the five kettles and how far along it was. He was the calm eye of our storm, and we couldn't have done it without him.

We did everything indirect on 5 kettles (two 26s and three 22s).  One of the fun parts was when people would walk up and ask us if we were making lunch... and when would we start cooking? Apparently, all of us talking in the shade and not standing/sweating/smoking over grills just didn't 'compute' as "cooking" to many of the folks in attendance.  Which was the perfect opportunity to introduce them to the magic of kettle cooking-- everything is covered and cooking (not burning).  Some folks needed to have us lift the lid before they would believe us, but in the end everyone was a big believer in indirect cooking.  And of course it made our jobs that much easier.

Note to anyone else trying to cook for 300:  switching to sandwiches takes a huge load off.  And chicken thighs and pork loin are really cheap, tasty, and popular.  We also cooked up some veggie burgers... and hot dogs when we started to fear that we wouldn't have enough food.  All of the meat and buns plus some supplies and several flats of bottled water only cost about $350, and we had plenty of food leftover.  The key was trimming/seasoning all four loins and 100 thighs the day before-- this allowed us to just keep cooking the whole time. 


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

[mike.stavlund]

I was busy, but managed some photos.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

The final photo is of the new 26 of @Firemunkee , carefully nestled behind my house. He was kind enough to let us use it, and then to let me cook on it for a couple of weeks.   Looks pretty sweet, so don't come looking if me and/or that grill go missing.  ;-)

[pbe gummi bear]

Way to spread the WKC and Weber spirit, Marty and Mike! Keep up the good work.

[56MPG]

I should mention Mike's daughters were helping out, inside packing meals and outside in the grill zone - his oldest became a true club member yesterday so I made her sign the banner. She pitched in big time - flipping burgers, making signs for the Weber swag giveaway, Raising the Weber banner, holding court for the raffle, slicing tenderloin. Mike was busy for sure, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!