Page 104 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2018

GIVING BACK bbq to the rescue
Caring Cuisine
Helping Others Through Barbecue Relief
Jamie Bates
has a passion for BBQ. In fact, one could say it’s in his blood.
“My father was passionate about barbecue, he owned his own rib shack that he built on
our property in Jayess, Mississippi,” Bates said. “He also made his own sauce and dry rub.”
Bates continued the
family tradition by making
his own version of the
sauce and dry rub. Today,
Daddy’s BBQ, the company
Bates started with his wife,
has products in grocery
stores across the South. But
these days, BBQ is not only
a product line for the Bates family, it’s a way of helping others when disasters strike. Bates is a volunteer with Operation BBQ Relief (OBR), a nonprofit based in Shawnee, Kanas, which is part of the metropolitan area of Kansas City, a city synonymous with barbecue.
“I’m a volunteer in an organization that someone else started,” he said. “In May 2011, a couple of BBQ guys decided there was a need to take food to Joplin, Missouri, after a devastating tornado. I appreciated what they were
James Edward Bates
doing and wanted to get involved.”
He said when OBR
is called into action, the trucks are not only feeding those who have responded to the storm in an emergency capacity. “We feed anyone that needs food,” he said. “We’re giving them something better to eat than MREs.”
OBR was recently mobilized to take food to those affected by Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, bringing the meal total to more than 1 million served in 2018. Bates said he knows firsthand
what it’s like to experience a natural disaster as he was one of many who experienced Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “I know how difficult it can be,” he said. “I want to help others.”
Helping others is a way to pay tribute to his parents. “I think they raised me to want to help others,” he said. “It’s a big part of how I live my life and it is part of my faith as a Christian to love others and be of service to others. We do that through BBQ Relief.”
story by Jeff Clark
photos courtesy of James Edward Bates
Serving hot meals twenty-four hours after Hurricane Michael passed through the Panama City area.
James Edward Bates, Marcio Borguezan and Terry Malley.
Operation BBQ Relief had cook sites in Tallahassee and Panama City Beach.
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