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BRANDON D. OLIVER/Palatka Daily News – Sheriff Gator DeLoach, right, and others taste-test ribs in the Anything Butt contest Friday evening at the Ten-24 Foundation fundraiser.
The first day of a barbecue fundraiser for local law enforcement officers kicked off Friday, and organizers are looking for even more people to attend today.
The Ten-24 Foundation’s Pitmaster Classic is open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. today at the Putnam County Fairgrounds, 118 Fairgrounds Road in East Palatka.
The event, which is free to the public, began Friday evening with the barbecue bash featuring its Anything Butt competition, where judges taste-tested chicken wings, seafood and desserts to find a winner.
The event is hosted by the Ten-24 Foundation, which raises money to help law enforcement officers and family members who may be in financial need, especially amid injuries or illnesses.
Sheriff Gator DeLoach, the foundation’s board president, encouraged people to visit the fairgrounds today to support a worthy cause and make sure the people who protect Putnam County are taken care of if they face an unfortunate situation.
“Other than the law enforcement memorial (in May 2023), this is our first big event since prior to COVID,” DeLoach said. “We started working on this project in 2020 prior to COVID.”
The foundation was started in 2013 after a Putnam County Sheriff’s Office deputy was critically injured from a gunshot while on duty. Insurance covered the deputy’s direct medical costs, DeLoach said, but it didn’t cover things like a motorized lift chair that helped with the deputy’s recovery.
Since 2013, Ten-24 has helped cover physical and mental health care costs for numerous law enforcement officers, he said.
“Since that time, the foundation (has) provided funds for cancer treatments, deductible for a baby’s eye surgery, as well as training mental health peer support, education for deputies and additional training,” DeLoach said.
The Pitmaster Classic, which is part of the Florida BBQ Association, features professional teams from around the state competing this weekend in Putnam County, DeLoach said.
“These are all professional cook teams, not your average backyard barbecue teams,” he said.
When foundation members started planning the Pitmaster Classic, DeLoach said, he had hoped 15 teams would compete. To his delight, 19 entered the cookoff.
This is the first year the foundation has hosted the barbecue classic, but it had been in the works for two years, authorities said last week.
While cloudy conditions and the threat of rain caused a lower-than-expected turnout Friday, organizers are looking for more people to attend today.
Highlights of today’s schedule include a demonstration from a Sonny’s BBQ pitmaster at 11 a.m. The first 25 people in line will get a chance to see the demo.
Hawg Wash BBQ will have barbecue plates for sale at 11 a.m. and all proceeds will benefit the Ten-24 Foundation.
The People’s Choice barbecue contest, where people can pay $10 for a plate of eight 2-ounce servings of barbecue, will begin at noon and continue until sold out.
“It’s a great value,” he said.
People can then take a poker chip and vote for which barbecue they believe is the best. Whichever team receives the most chips will win a People’s Choice award, he said.
Sonny’s will hold another demonstration at 3 p.m. for the first 25 people in line, with judges handing out awards at 5 p.m.
Vendors, barbecue trucks and live music will be going on all day, and people 21 and older can stop by the event’s beer garden for a drink or drop their kids off at the kid’s zone while they grab a bite to eat.
While the event is free, people are welcome to donate to the Ten-24 Foundation. For more information or to view the Pitmaster Classic schedule, visit ten24foundation.org.
Editor Brandon D. Oliver contributed to this report.
