Funds Will Help

Rebuild Baileyton

U.M. Church

By BILL JONES

Staff Writer

Saturday's Baileyton Benefit Barbecue and Auction raised at least $65,000 to help rebuild the burned Baileyton United Methodist Church, the event's chairman said on Sunday.

That total surpasses by about $15,000 the total raised by a benefit barbecue held five years ago at Baileyton Elementary to raise funds to rebuild the fire-destroyed Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church near North Greene High School.

Dan Duggar, a retired Greene County educator and member of Hardins Chapel United Methodist Church, said that while the final results won't be known until a Sept. 23 meeting of the committee that planned the event, he is confident the final total will surpass $65,000.

The $65,000 total, Duggar said, includes about $20,000 that was raised by an auction of donated items that was conducted on the shady front lawn of the school.

Volunteer auctioneer Wayne Bettis, who conducted the auction, said more than 300 items had been donated by members of the public and businesses for the auction.

Among the donated items was a new 42-inch plasma TV that had been donated by the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Midway.

"We still have some money from advanced ticket sales that has not yet been turned in, so we think the financial news will only get better," Duggar said.

The $65,000 total does not include money that members of Baileyton United Methodist Church made on Saturday for the rebuilding effort by selling ice cream and copies of their cookbook.

Ken Bailey, Sr., a long-time member of the church, said on Saturday that church members had already sold 4,000 copies of the $18 cookbook and had just received 2,000 more copies to sell last week.

40 Churches Involved

Duggar praised the efforts of some 425 volunteers from approximately 40 churches that were involved in preparing and serving Saturday's meal of beef and pork barbecue, and all the trimmings, at Baileyton Elementary School.

"We had churches involved all the way from Bulls Gap to Fall Branch," Duggar said. He added that some of the churches involved were so small that they could devote only one or two volunteers. "But when we all come together as a group, it's amazing what we can do."

He noted that a number of community volunteers who had not been involved in planning efforts simply showed up on Saturday morning at the school and offered their services.

More Than 5,600 Served

During a Sunday interview, Duggar reported between 5,600 and 5,900 people were fed on Saturday. He noted that some 2,800 people who had not purchased tickets in advanced came to the school on Saturday.

Organizers had purchased 6,000 hamburger buns for the half-pound beef and barbecue sandwiches that were devoured by the thousands on Saturday.

"We only had about 100 buns left on Saturday night," Duggar said.

On those buns, he said, volunteers placed some 3,000 pounds of pork barbecue and some 1,000 pounds of beef barbecue.

Served with the barbecue, he said, were 140 gallons of baked beans prepared by volunteers at North Greene High School and 1,400 pounds of cole slaw prepared by members of the Baileyton First Baptist Church.

Hundreds of cakes baked by volunteers also were sliced and served, Duggar said.

A huge refrigerated trailer that had been brought to the scene to hold perishable items, including cakes destined for the Saturday afternoon auction.

The meat had been cooked in time-honored fashion in underground barbecue pits at Hardins Chapel United Methodist Church on Baileyton Road and at the Ottway Ruritan Club on Ottway Road, Duggar said.

At those locations, volunteers from the Hardins Chapel and Ottway Ruritan Clubs had begun preparing for the barbecue on Thursday night, burning huge amounts of season hickory wood in the underground pits to produce the hot coals needed to slow-cook the meat.

At Hardins Chapel, volunteers had tended the barbecue pit fire, all Thursday night. Volunteers at the Ottway Ruritan Club had gone home at midnight Thursday and returned at 6:30 a.m. Friday.

Began Cooking Friday

Both clubs had placed the beef and pork in their underground pits about 8 a.m. Friday. The meat cooked until about 8 a.m. Saturday, when it was removed, pulled from the bone and transported to Baileyton Elementary, Duggar said.

Many participants, he said, came through a drive-through serving line set up outside the school. Others were served in the school's cafeteria or at an outdoor serving line that was set up beneath the shade of massive oak trees that dot Baileyton Elementary School's front lawn.

On-site diners ate in the school's cafeteria and at picnic tables set up in the shade of the oak trees on the school's lawn.

A gentle breeze that prevailed for much of the day made dining in the shade a pleasure, organizers said.

"We got a little overwhelmed at the drive-through line on Saturday," Duggar said. "But everyone got fed."

Among the volunteers who worked in the hectic drive-through line on Saturday afternoon were 10 members of the Greeneville High School Lady Devils basketball team, organizers said.

Duggar said the benefit barbecue was scheduled to operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

But cars were already lined up at the drive-through line outside the school by 10:30 a.m. Saturday when a Greeneville Sun reporter arrived.

Duggar said volunteers worked until about 11:30 p.m. Saturday cleaning up the school grounds and cafeteria.

"You could hardly tell we had been there when we left," he said.

He noted a large "roll-off trailer" donated by Tracy Gass enabled barbecue organizers to store many items needed for the barbecue outside the school building, freeing up space in the cafeteria.

Duggar said a final meeting of the committee that organized Saturday's Baileyton Benefit Barbecue, and celebratory meal, will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Baileyton First Baptist Church.

A firm time for the meal and final results meeting had not be set, Duggar said.