Barbecuing for Breast Cancer

The BBQ Battle of Lalique Pointe featured the grill skills of Ministry of Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush, second from left, and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, third from left, along with cook-off judges, from left, Dale Crighton, Governor Helen Kilpatrick and Stephen Trench. - Photo: Alan Markoff

As you (hopefully) already know, we just left October. As you also (hopefully) already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Among women in the United States, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer (1 in 8 women will be diagnosed in their lifetime). The likelihood that you don’t personally know someone who has fought against breast cancer is slim to none. That being said, it’s no surprise that we have a whole month dedicated to raising money and awareness for this deadly disease. It’s pretty much impossible to not encounter a breast cancer walk/run in the month of October and it’s definitely impossible to miss the pink donned by NFL players all month long. Aside from the Susan G. Komen’s and big corporations that flood our social media however, there are tons of people who make an effort to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. These are the stories we tend to miss and they also happen to be our favorites. This is one of those stories.

This story takes place off the shores, in the beautiful Cayman Islands. The story starts at a Breast Cancer Gala Dinner where a live auction was taking place. Apparently, the attendees were in a giving mood and were hungry to keep bidding even though the auction prizes were dwindling. That’s when an impromptu auction item was added to the table, a BBQ challenge between the Ministry of Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, to be judged by the governor Helen Kilpatrick. The tasty auction item ended up selling for $10,000! All of which went right to charity, of course.

The winner of the BBQ throw-down would win a Far Out Awards Perpetual BBQ Ribs Trophy and the title of BBQ King. The loser on the other hand would take home a Far Out Awards Banana Trophy reading “Not the BBQ King.” Ouch.

The event was written up in the Cayman Compass, and you can read all about it right here. Our favorite part of this story is really the ending. When it came to picking a winner, the Governor really couldn’t decide:

Eventually a solution was found: Gumbo, a dog that accompanied his owner to the event, would be offered a rib from each competitor. The chef of the rib he went to first would take home the first-place trophy, and neither would have the shame of accepting the runner-up banana trophy.

Gumbo chose Mr. Bush’s rib, which Mr. Manderson said was fine with him because he didn’t cook dog food.

Of course, the real winner here was the Breast Cancer Foundation, who took home the $10,000 that wouldn’t have been possible without the good sports who competed in this impromptu event.

The BBQ throw-down turned out to be bigger than they ever could have anticipated, and will likely become an annual event. Judging by the success, I’m betting the auction rates will go way up on next year’s throw-down.

Thanks to Dale (who came up with the idea for this event) for allowing Far Out Awards to be a part of such a great cause, and for sharing your story with us!