The annual BackStoppers BBQ will return for its 10th year on Saturday. The event will begin at 11 a.m. at the Big River VFW Post, 1 Lynn Lane, in Cedar Hill.
Organizer Chuck Gerding said the free, family-friendly event will include a bounce house, games and live music. Barbecue from the Screaming Eagle Grill, owned by Gerding, will also be available for purchase.
A fireworks show presented by J&M Displays of Dittmer will begin shortly after dark. Raffles will also be included.
All proceeds from food sales and raffles will go toward BackStoppers, a nonprofit organization that supports families of first responders who are severely injured or die in the line of duty.
Over the past nine years, the barbecue has raised $539,945 for the organization, Gerding said, adding that last year, the event raised $119,414.
He said the fundraiser is second only to the Guns `N Hoses boxing event held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis in terms of money raised for BackStoppers.
“You see it in the paper all the time where these men and women are getting injured or killed,” Gerding said. “It’s really rough, and BackStoppers does a great job of taking care of these people or their families from top to bottom. I hope we can get a huge crowd out here and have a good time.”
Several bands have volunteered to perform throughout the day, including Midwest’s Most Wanted, The Southside Johnny Band and the Killer Wails, Gerding said.
“Southside Johnny’s has a huge following,” he said. “They played at last year’s barbecue and came back to me right at the end of their gig and asked if they could be part of it again because they enjoyed it so much.”
Gerding said a large group of volunteers he calls the Scream Team make the annual event possible. The team is named after his barbecue company.
He also owns Gerding Enterprises, a metal fabrication company in Dittmer, the main sponsor of the event.
Screaming Eagle will serve smoked ribs, half chickens, pork steaks, pork steak burgers, bratwursts and all-beef hot dogs. For sides, the company will offer pork and beans, potato salad and macaroni and cheese.
“This isn’t just a thrown-together barbecue,” Gerding said. “This is done professionally. All of our meats are smoked, so it takes longer. We mix our own sauce and seasonings. We have our own distinct flavor, and it really turns out nice.”
Attendees may enter multiple raffles. The Scream Team will sell 5,000 $10 tickets for the raffles.
The top prize is for a 2025 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Crew UTV worth more than $20,000, Gerding said.
The second prize is a gift card for $2,500, and the third prize is a big screen TV.
“We’ve got some really nice prizes and nice activities for the kids,” Gerding said. “We hope to get the whole family out there and make it an all-day event.”