The BBQ club is celebrating its 20th anniversary this fall. Since 2002, the club has grilled hamburgers and hot dogs outside of the stadium before home football games and other sporting events. The club’s goal is to raise attendance and spirit at events by choosing game themes and organizing different pregame tailgate activities. Social studies teacher and co-sponsor Jenn Bauer said, “They were founded to bring kids into the sporting events.”

Bauer and her husband Kraig Bauer have been involved in the club for the entirety of its existence. Jenn Bauer has been the sponsor of the BBQ club since its inception and Kraig Bauer was not initially the official sponsor but still played a role. “I was the one teaching them how to grill and making them do everything,” Kraig Bauer said. 

The leadership extends beyond the sponsors to the grillmasters. The grillmasters are selected each year by the previous ones. They are the people who are actually making the food, managing the social media, purchasing and preparing the food and promoting the participation of the club members. 

The 20th anniversary comes with increased diversity. This is the first time that the grillmasters consist of an equal number of boys to girls. Jenn Bauer said, “We had one girl about 10 years ago.”

Senior Kaitlin Mariani is one of this year’s four grillmasters and she believes the BBQ club is a great way to promote attendance at sporting events. “My favorite part is connecting with the kids, talking to them before the games, getting them hyped for the games and cooking them burgers.”

The environment at the pregame tailgate is intended to be fun and lively. Not only are there burgers and hot dogs but also face painting and cornhole. Sophomore club member AJ Shiflett said, “The atmosphere is energetic and social. It really gets you excited for the game.”

The 20-year anniversary of the club is a meaningful milestone for the two sponsors of the club. Their daughter Katie Bauer has had her birthday celebrated at a BBQ club tailgate. Jennn Bauer said, “We had a pink unicorn birthday cake at the BBQ club for everyone who was there.”

A tradition that began several years after the start of the club was the introduction of the shirts. The shirts are typically red, white or blue and have a club design on the front. On the backside of the T-shirts are the nicknames of the club members. Jennn Bauer and Kraig Bauer have gone through multiple nicknames as sponsors of the club. Kraig Bauer said, “I’ve had nicknames from inside jokes with my friends. I once had the nickname ‘Character Builder’.”

Twenty years of the BBQ club means 20 years of students connecting with one another, eating food and watching sports.  Shiflett said, “There is no better way to get ready for a football game.”