Neighbor News
St. Stephen’s Memorial Day BBQ Benefits HOPE Trip
Before, during and after the Memorial Day Parade the public is invited to St. Stephen's Memorial Day BBQ, which benefits youth trip for HOPE
St. Stephen’s Church enjoys a location at 351 Main Street that is a prime spot for viewing Ridgefield’s Memorial Day Parade. It is also where the public can enjoy the church’s Memorial Day BBQ before, during and after the parade. BBQ proceeds will fund the annual week-long Youth Mission Trip, H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Endure). This year’s destination is Owego, NY, where youths and adult leaders from St. Stephen’s will join crews from other churches to make home repairs that the owners aren’t able to handle themselves, physically and/or financially.
The BBQ menu will include hamburgers, hot dogs and smoked chicken. But the featured items will be artisanal, smoked pulled pork prepared by parishioners Mark Blandford, Marshall Odeen and Jim Brown. “We cook it at a perfect temperature for more than 12 hours - allowing the meat to fall apart,” said Blandford. “After having the BBQ cancelled the past two years due to weather, we have two years’ of pent-up innovations added to the menu this year.”
Brown, whose daughters Taylor and Emily will be on the H.O.P,E. trip, added: “We are grateful to Marshall, owner of Odeen’s BBQ, for lending us his huge professional smoker, which can hold over 200 pounds of meat. His generosity has helped us make the St. Stephen’s Memorial Day BBQ a Ridgefield tradition.”
Caption: Expert preparers of smoked pulled pork, Mark Blandford (left) and Jim Brown.
