ROTARY CHICKEN BARBECUE CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY
GRINNELL, Iowa (June 2, 2024) – All set for 70th Anniversary Rotary Club Chicken Barbecue Fundraiser happening this Thursday, June 6th.
The traditional meal of half a charcoal grilled chicken, chips, pudding and bottled water can be collected for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and for dinner from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in front of the Church United Methodist on Park St. across from the Drake Public Library.
The cost remained at $12. Tickets can be purchased in advance at any Rotarian, Medicap, Brown’s Shoe Fit, Total Choice and Grinnell State Bank. Tickets will be available the same day.

Frank Shults, coordinator of this year’s chicken barbecue and new president of Grinnell Rotary, feels especially honored to be
coordinate this long-standing Rotary tradition during its 70th birthday. Calling the chicken barbecue the “kickoff” of summer in Grinnell because it takes place the first Thursday in June after elementary and middle school let out, Shults, who joined Rotary in 1989, said said the way Rotarians have organized this barbecue event has changed over the years.
INNOVATIONS OVER THE YEARS
Allen Latcham, a member since 1970, played a central role in these changes. He explained that in the beginning, Rotarians built the barbecue every year with 500 to 600 cement blocks. They spread them out on the grass of Central Park, spreading vermiculite at the bottom of the pit to keep the heat in. “It was a chore,” Latcham said. “Ultimately, we had to wait for the cement blocks to cool before they could be removed. In addition, the heat invariably damaged the grass, which then had to be replanted. »
The Rotarians then moved the barbecue to 4th Avenue between the old community center (now Grinnell Hotel) and Central Park, placing the stand directly on the street. “Well, it destroyed the street and the repairs were expensive,” Latcham commented.
About 20 years ago, Latcham had the brilliant idea of building the fireplace out of stainless steel: seven sections made of 4-by-8-foot panels hung together for easy disassembly. When assembled, the fireplace measured 56 feet. The bottom, anchored to the ground, was made of three layers of stainless steel, spaced one inch apart. Latcham said: “The dead air between the steel panels at the bottom provided insulation, keeping the heat inside. »
Another innovation was building stainless steel lids to place over the chicken that also retained heat. “It’s like covering the pan when you’re cooking at home,” Latcham said. This is an important development, he noted. He said the chickens are placed on racks to cook. To make sure they’re cooked evenly and the chickens don’t burn, Latcham said the racks are flipped five or six times. “The shelves are quite heavy. We found that when the chickens are covered, you only need to turn the racks two or three times, which has been a big help to the Rotarians,” he said.

Another innovation was to cover the hearth with aluminum foil. “The foil reflects heat, which saved us money; we were able to use less charcoal,” Latcham said.
Latcham noted that the stainless steel fire pit worked so well that a Brooklyn nonprofit borrowed the fire pit for its own chicken barbecue fundraiser.
Finally, Latcham noted that many years ago, Rotarians served chicken at sit-down dinners at the community center. “It was too much work; we moved on to realization. Until recently, the meal included potato salad, coleslaw and lemonade. “These were replaced with a bag of chips and bottled water to reduce ticket prices,” he said.
SECRET SAUCE
The flavor of chicken is one of the reasons Rotary BBQ has been successful over the years. This is due to a secret sauce that Bruce Blankenfeld, a member since 2004, prepares every year.

The Blankenfeld restaurant experience has also led to recent changes. In the past, chicken was put in plastic bags and then in paper bags. Today, they are served in plastic containers like those used for rotisserie chicken sold in grocery stores.
At Blankenfeld’s request, Rotary also purchased three insulated, heated holding cabinets to store the chicken once cooked and keep it warm before distribution.
When he was Rotary president in 2013, Blankenfeld floated the idea of selling sponsorships to local businesses. Sponsor recognition is done through banners displayed at the Chicken Barbecue and Kites Over Grinnell which will be held on Saturday, September 28 this year; inscription in a leaflet inserted in each chicken meal bag; free tickets and recognition in a thank you announcement after the event.
PRODUCTS SUPPORT ROTARY PROJECTS
Sponsorships have increased fundraising profits, allowing Rotary to support many projects over the years. Chief among these projects are annual scholarships for Grinnell High School students pursuing college, sponsorship of international exchange students, and sponsorship of two GHS students for Rotary’s Youth Leadership Award, a week-long leadership training held each summer at Grinnell College.

Proceeds also allowed the club to apply for community service grants from Rotary District 6000. In recent years, these grants have helped fund a high-flow oxygen machine for UnityPoint Health-Grinnell; equipment and materials for the Grinnell Community Early Learning Center; basketball hoops for Ahrens Park; nonfiction books for K-4 from the Grinnell School District; and outdoor musical instruments for the outdoor learning center project at Ahrens Park.
The funds also allowed Rotary to partner with Shults and Co., a community singing ensemble led by Shults and his wife Sherry. With funds raised by these musicals, Shults and Co. and Rotary have been able to jointly support important community projects such as the Drake Public Library; the modernization of Central Park; a bay in the chemo unit, a medical laboratory and office equipment for the hospital; a laser projector for the public safety building; two elliptical trainers for the Ahrens fitness center; carpet and office furniture for the Station Clubhouse, and orchestra stands for the Grinnell Middle School music department.
This year’s funds will also be used to match a possible community service grant for the Grinnell Historical Museum at its new location.
Rotary also supports occasional requests for donations from other community groups.
VOLUNTEER HELP
In addition to members, the Rotary Chicken Barbecue is made possible with the help of various volunteers from Bayer Crop Science, Grinnell State Bank, First State Bank, Grinnell High School, Tiger Paws and Fastenal who donate water in a bottle.
For more information on chicken barbecue, contact Frank Shults at (641)990-3658 or Bruce Blankenfeld at (641)990-1152.
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