Eastern Florida State College Foundation’s Backyard BBQ Event Breaks All-time Fundraising Record - $162,000!

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The EFSC Foundation celebrated its 10th Annual “Backyard BBQ Cook-Off and Family Fest” on Saturday, February 21 in a big way, raising a record $162,000 for student scholarships bringing the event’s ten-year total to more than $800,000.

Live music from local band Hot Pink set the tone as more than 2,000 attendees gathered on the EFSC Melbourne campus for the outdoor event. Families sampled BBQ, browsed offerings from local vendors and food trucks, and took part in a charity gift bag drawing. Younger guests enjoyed a variety of children’s activities, making it a full day of fun for all ages.

As part of the event, the Collegiate Veterans Society, a college student club, hosted its annual “Red, White, and Wheels Car Show,” raising funds to support student veterans completing classes at EFSC. J.C. Burchette, Club Sponsor and Director of EFSC’s Military and Veterans Services Office stated, “It was the largest car show we have ever had on campus with 114 cars entered. Our students will benefit from the effort, made possible by our main sponsors, Mel & Linda Mills who donated thousands of dollars to the event.”

BBQ proceeds were increased even further thanks to the generosity of the numerous event sponsors which included Grand Champion Sponsor Community Credit Union; Signature Sponsors Glover, Orndorf & Flanagan Wealth Management and the Christie Family Foundation; Presenting Sponsors Orlando Health and AJAX Building Company; and Titan Sponsors Progressive Cleaning, Wharton-Smith, Inc., Health First, Mel and Linda Mills, HM Williams Construction Group, and Boys Electrical Contractors; and BBQ Crew Sponsors Dane Contracting, Inc., Carroll Distributing Company, Appliance Warehouse & BBQ Supply, Leo's Concrete, Inc., and The Viera Company.

"The success of this year’s event is a powerful reminder of what our community can achieve when we come together for a shared purpose,” said College President Dr. Jim Richey. “Every dollar raised in the last 10 years represents an investment in our students’ futures. This year’s record-breaking total would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors and participants and the hard work of our volunteers, who made this event so successful. Their generosity of both time and money will help us ensure that more students have the opportunity to pursue their educational goals and achieve their dreams at Eastern Florida State College and beyond. We are already in the planning stages of next year’s event which will be bigger and better than ever."

Victoria Jones, the Foundation’s Executive Director, agreed and further underscored the importance of the BBQ Teams themselves who invested a great deal of time and resources to the event to make it so special stating, “Congratulations to all 13 of the outstanding BBQ teams for participating. On behalf of President Richey, Foundation Board Chair Randy Coleman, and all of our Foundation Board Members, we want to especially congratulate this year’s 2026 winning BBQ Cook-Off teams.”

The winning teams took home bragging rights and cash prizes that ranged from $100 to $1,500 for the Grand Champion.

The coveted “Corporate Challenge Golden Pig” was won by MH Williams Construction Group.

Smokin’ Dreams won the Grand Champion Award (sponsored by Community Credit Union); the Corporate Challenge People's Choice Award (sponsored by Progressive Cleaning) went to MH Williams Construction Group; and the Backyard Team People's Choice Award (sponsored by Progressive Cleaning) went to Fantasy Q.

Other Top Awards:

1st Place Pork: Smoke Meat Every Day
2nd Place Pork: Smokin' Armadillo BBQ
3rd Place Pork: Fantasy Q

1st Place Ribs: Done Right Smokin'
2nd Place Ribs: Smoke Meat Every Day
3rd Place Ribs: Mike's C-7

1st Place Brisket: Fantasy Q
2nd Place Brisket: Smoke Meat Every Day
3rd Place Brisket: Mike's C-7

The “Red, White, and Wheels Car Show” winners included:

President's Choice:
Harry Oppenheimer - 1964 Corvette Stingray

People's Choice:
Bill Kinstler - COE (Cab Over Engine) Model

1990 Models and newer:
1st place: Michael Moretti - Nissan Skyline R34
2nd place: Bernard Behlok - Chevy Corvette ZRI
3rd place: Ken O'Conner - 2005 Ford Mustang Cobra

1989 Models and older: 
1st place: Kalvin Morin - 1941 Willys Coupe
2nd place: John Luzzi - 1957 Chevrolet Belair
3rd Place: Bolliq Kyle - 1967 Chevy Nova SS

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