01/14/2015
"Swine Fever” will be competing at the 19th Annual Lakeland Pigfest on Friday, January 30th and Saturday the 31st in the “Publix Super Markets Backyard Competition”. This will be my team’s 6th consecutive year competing in this particular competition, we came our closest to placing in a category just last year. We are hoping to obtain some sponsors this year to bring us to victory, any help from your business or other interested parties would be greatly appreciated!
For any individuals or organizations willing to donate we would love for you to come by and see us in action and taste our food. All contributors will be featured on our banner as well as the ability to indulge in free samples of our world class BBQ. If any contributors wish to not be listed we will be happy to accommodate those requests.
Below are suggested donation levels but any contribution is welcome:
o Gold Level $500.00
o Silver Level $250.00
Each donation matching the suggested levels will receive special recognition based on the level of support. If interested parties wish to donate ANY AMOUNT, it will be greatly appreciated and will help us reach our goals to bring home a trophy and serious bragging rights this year.
The 19th Annual Lakeland Pigfest offers great family fun, entertainment, and of course amazing food. The bottom line of the festival is to benefit local charities such as The Junior League of Greater Lakeland and Girls Inc..
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERATION TO DONATE YOUR TIME AND MONETARY CONTRIBUTION TO HELP US “TEAM SWINE FEVER” IN OUR EFFORTS TO SUCCEED IN OUR SIXTH YEAR IN THIS COMPETITION. ALL PARTIES BENEFITING FROM THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES WILL BE GRATEFUL.
Here is a little bit about the competition direct from the Pigfest website.
Also here is a link to their website http://lakelandpigfest.org/
Lakeland Pigfest Details:
The seeds for the Lakeland Pig Festival were first planted in 1994 when a small group of local businessmen, vacationing in North Carolina, attended a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned barbeque championship in Tryon, North Carolina. As interest grew in the community, then Governor Lawton Chiles signed a request for the formal sanctioning of the Lakeland Pig Festival as a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) State Championship on November 19,1996. Finally, a date was set to bring a barbeque championship to Lakeland, and on March 21, 1997 the Lakeland Pig Festival was born.
In the beginning, the goals of the Lakeland Pig Festival were pretty simple:
Raise money for local charitable organizations;
Create an relaxing event for all walks of life;
Eat some world-class barbeque!
As with any new contest, there were several years of trial and error trying to find the perfect “recipe” for success. During these early years, the contest was held in March or April; however, in 2000 a decision was made to move the contest to late-January. Each successive year has brought more contestants and greater attendance. But nothing was possible without the dedication of community volunteers.
In 2004, a Kids-Q Contest was added, and immediately became a permanent part of the event.
In 2008, Pigfest was expanded to include Friday evening activities. With the addition of live music and entertainment, fun food competition, and BBQ vending, the event continued to be a great success. To date, the Lakeland Pig Festival has contributed nearly $500,000 to local charities and is recognized nationally as one of the best Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) BBQ events in the country.
The mission of the Lakeland Pig Festival, Inc. is to continue to promote and improve the event as it has since its beginning, so that it is enjoyed by the participants and our community and serves the charitable organizations of the greater Lakeland area and we are proud to report that this mission continues to be met!
Kingsford professional BBQ competition – a Kansas city barbecue society sanctioned event
KCBS is “the largest international organization of barbeque enthusiasts” and has sanctioned the Lakeland Pig Festival since its first contest in 1997. Professional teams travel from all over the U.S. to compete in four categories: Ribs, Chicken, Pork and Brisket. They come for camaraderie and the Florida sunshine (what could be better than Florida in January!) . Some of them are even interested in the prize money. Over 200 teams from 17 states have competed in Lakeland since 1997. Many return year after year.
The Publix super markets backyard competition
Publix Super Markets and Publix Charities have been major sponsors of the Lakeland Pig Festival since 1997. The Publix Backyard Competition teams compete in the same four categories of Ribs, Chicken, Pork and Brisket. The difference is that the backyard group is composed of local teams, competing for bragging rights, ribbons and trophies. The backyard contest follows rules similar to the KCBS Rules and Regulations. Many members of the backyard teams attend Judging School to learn what the judges are looking for in taste, tenderness/texture and presentation. When they feel they’re ready, many go on to compete in the pro competition.
The Badcock kids-q competition
The Lakeland Pig Festival’s first Kids-Q Cooking Contest was held in 2003. The contest follows all KCBS Kids rules and regulations. All children cook in a designated area on their own grills, and awards are presented at the main stage.
“Children’s participation in the Kids-Q event will help ensure that barbecuing — America’s favorite pastime — will never become a lost art.” Carolyn Wells
food. friends. music. charity. Join the Lakeland Pigfest Board of Directors and the over 150 competition barbecue teams for a weekend of good eatin’, good friends, and good tunes […]
