Thousands of people showed up Sept. 20 for the 10th annual BackStoppers BBQ to support local first responders, organizer Chuck Gerding said.
He said the funds raised at the event were still being tallied on Monday, the Leader deadline, but estimated the total would likely surpass the $119,414 raised at last year’s event.
Gerding is the owner of Gerding Enterprises in Dittmer and the Screaming Eagle Grill, which sponsored the fundraiser for BackStoppers, which was held at the Big River VFW in Cedar Hill. BackStoppers helps families of police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
The annual event is made possible due to a group of volunteers Gerding calls the “Scream Team.” The group served smoked ribs, half chickens, pork steaks, bratwurst and hot dogs.
“We went through so much damn food, and I don’t ever want to see a pork steak again,” Gerding joked. “It was a huge success. It was the most people we’ve ever had there, and it was crowded all day. We had all three parking lots full almost all day, and we’ve never had that in the past.”
During the barbecue, Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak and Undersheriff Tim Whitney surprised Gerding with a plaque and badge, naming him an honorary Sheriff’s Office deputy for his years of fundraising for BackStoppers.
From left, BackStoppers of Jefferson County president Mike Simms, North Jefferson County Ambulance Chief Jamie Guinn, Byrnes Mill Chief Frank Selvaggio, SSM Health Care EMS education manager Shirley Gastler, Sgt. Cody Umfress, retired Eureka Police Chief Mike Wiegand, Susan Guinn and retired Paramedic Carmen Passaniti.
Since its inception, the barbecue has raised $539,945 for the nonprofit organization.
“It (the Sheriff’s Office recognition) was quite an honor,” Gerding said. “It really took me by surprise. I just love those guys. This is what it’s all about, giving back to these first responders, and for them to do that was really amazing.
“It’s never about just me,” he added. “It’s every person. My Scream Team makes me so proud. If you come out there and watch them work, it’s a well-oiled machine. There’s no way we could get that much food out without all the help – from the cooking to the seasoning to the saucing, to the serving, and to the trash removal.”
Cedar Hill Fire Chief Mick Fischer said he’s grateful for Gerding’s continued effort to raise money for first responders, adding that families from his fire district have directly benefited from BackStoppers.
Cedar Hill Fire Battalion Chief Marvin Shaffrey died in 2021 due to complications from COVID-19, and, according to the nonprofit’s website, BackStoppers provided $10,000 to the Shaffrey family to use in whatever way they needed. The nonprofit also made arrangements to help with the family’s health care and tuition costs.
“BackStoppers is really important to us, and it even hits home even closer for Cedar Hill because of losing Battalion Chief Marvin Shaffrey a few years ago,” Fischer said. “We’ve seen this organization in action and seen how much it has helped that family. It makes it even more important for us to help.”
Fischer said his off-duty personnel helped the Scream Team handle drive-thru orders and coordinated parking at the barbecue. All the raffle tickets were sold and the Scream Team ran out of food by the end of the day, he added.
“At one time, the parking lots were full, and we were just lucky enough that people were leaving as others were coming in, so we never ran out of parking spots, but we got really, really close,” Fischer said. “That was something that never happened in the past.”
Barrett Gregory, 3, of Pacific explores a firetruck at the BackStoppers event.
Several bands volunteered their time to perform at the barbecue, including Midwest’s Most Wanted, The Southside Johnny Band and the Killer Wails. A fireworks show presented by Dittmer-based J&M Displays closed out the barbecue shortly after dark.
Rain in the afternoon put a brief pause on the barbecue, forcing the bands to take cover, but Gerding said the crowds returned quickly after the rain stopped.
“We really had some good bands this year,” he said. “I had many people come up and tell me how wonderful the bands were. Everybody looked like they were really having a good time.
“I really thought (the rain) was going to kill us. I’m telling you, when the rain quit, within 15-30 minutes, I looked out in the parking lot and it was completely chock-full. The bands were able to start playing again (and) the crowd was three times the size that it was right before the rain.”
Gerding said he’s proud of the community, saying it’s due to their support that the event continues to grow.
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 raising money for BackStoppers.
“This has really turned into something people believe in and trust, and that’s what is key,” he said. “They know that every dime of this is going to BackStoppers. That’s how we got those staggering numbers.”