Rollins BBQ enjoys good weather, high praise

Sunday's 32nd Annual Buffalo and Turkey Barbeque in Rollins was hailed as another great success by organizers and patrons, despite a slight drop in attendance from last year.

The decrease in attendance may have been related to a forecast that called for showers, though the event took place during a window in which the rain held off and the sun even decided to shine.

This year, the meat received a little extra attention in that it was allowed to marinate for an extra day. According to the critics, that extra care was evident in the taste and several noted that the buffalo meat clearly surpassed last year's offering. In fact, by 3:45 p.m., all of the buffalo meat had sold. The turkey, as usual, earned rave reviews and was not far behind the buffalo in making a hasty exit as the event wrapped up.

New Rollins fire chief Terry Gore said the benefit represents a boost to the fire department in more ways than one, since it successfully bolsters moral and community spirit in addition to the department's finances.

"It really means an awful lot of things to everyone who attends," Gore said. "It is certainly a revenue source for the fire department, and for everyone who has ever been involved with the fire department it is a kind of reunion, where we all get to be together. But it also means a lot to the whole community, because just about everyone in Rollins has been involved with the fire department at one time or another.

"It's a strong tradition for us, and there's just some mystique about dropping meat into a pit and letting it cook over night. Even if people have lived here for 30 years, they've got to come over and look at the meat in the pits."

For some, however, the draw includes more than the novelty of the barbeque pits, the quality of the food or the tradition of supporting the fire department. For some, there is a strong connection to the community itself and to community building-the former Rollins school house-at which the event is held.

"It's just a great community event, and this is really what holds the community together," event chairman Ron Tjaden said. "It's a great time and a great meal, with a lot of great people."