Tiffany Steiner and Jackie Jenkin, Co-Founders of the Bakken BBQ, announce the amount of money raised from the 2020[s community fundraiser. In the midst of a year where COVID Shutdowns, Smart Starts, and Mask Wars were dominating the country’s discourse, the 8th Annual Bakken BBQ raised $75,000 for Make A Wish North Dakota and other local charities.
“Last year we had double the companies cooking and double the attendance, so that just shows how much our community stepped up and supported us with sponsorships and donations that really changed how we were able to give back this to Make-A-Wish this year,” Steiner said.
The Bakken BBQ traditionally takes place in June, however, due to COVID, the event was pushed back to August. Additional health and safety measures were taken and no outbreaks were recorded nor contact tracing for quarantine.
“We made sure we had all our ducks in a row,” Jenkin said. “We wanted to make sure we had this event, but also make everyone safe so we contacted Southwest Health District, North Dakota Department of Health to make sure we met all the requirements.”
For more information email bakkenbbq@hotmail.com
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Below is the raw, unedited transcript from our artificial intelligence translator.
Tiffany Steiner
Tiffany Steiner, Bakken BBQ
Jackie Jenkin
Jackie Jenkins, Bakken BBQ.
Jason Spiess
Getting ready here for the bacon barbecue just around the corner. We've got the co founders with us, it is Tiffany steiner, Jackie Jenkins. How are the two of you doing today? Wonderful. How are you? Excellent. Thank you for asking. So like I say, we're less than a week away, understand you guys are about to go into a couple of meetings to brief your squad, your volunteers, your
committee. Uh, let's, let's get a little preview here. White hot information. Not red hot, not yellow hot, so hot. It's right in the middle of white. So what do we got today?
Tiffany Steiner
Well, we're pretty excited. We are about a week and a half, I should say, um, from the bacon barbecue, the eighth annual. Um, you know, this year, it's a little different. Obviously everything going on with Covid and that. Um, but we're really excited to be able to have our events. We are down a few cookers, but we still have an amazing crew showing up today for the cooker meeting and we think it's gonna be a great turn out for the day.
Jason Spiess
You mentioned to me that a few of the cookers dropped out for just reasons of travel reasons, oil prices, Covid concerns, whatever it might be. But then you mentioned that you've gotten more like big dollar donations than ever, which really surprised me and that's why I wanted to bring it up because I know it's tough to talk about sponsors and dollar amounts and that sort of thing. But when there's a downtick in like cookers. You saw an uptick in donations, is that right?
Tiffany Steiner
Yeah. We have an amazing year for our donations. We have more bacon, $5000 donations than we've ever had and the energy services Jr a rentals, conical phillips, um Bucks football team in bismarck, then we have hurricane north country oil screaming eagle energy and why am encasing
Jackie Jenkin
services. And the exciting thing about a lot of these sponsors is they have reached out to us this year and you know, we still have a lot of the original sponsors from the last couple of years, but we also have a lot of new sponsors. So it's been pretty exciting just to meet and interact with these new companies and for them to get in this year, even with the price of oil.
Jason Spiess
Well back at the turn of the calendar, I remember when this was kind of first starting out and then the covid March Madness, we were talking and you guys didn't know what to expect. There was a lot of unknowns. And so as this kind of plays out a little bit, you mentioned, you know, the cookers are down a few but that was after you hit hit hit record numbers. So that that actually could have happened with the oil prices anyways.
But to see the donations come in and the potential for more donations at the event. To me this has got to be a really terrific way I guess to look at what could have gone a lot of different ways considering like I said, all those different balls that were up in the air and there was no idea what was gonna happen as we're, you know, looking like a week away from the event.
Jackie Jenkin
Yeah, I was honestly a little nervous to see what was gonna come from it. Um, you know, you just don't know what to expect with what's going on in the world right now. Are we gonna have more companies back out last minute due to their company's concerns? You know, are we gonna have as many people come from the community to support us?
But I think, um, with How we revamped our layout, you know, we're pretty covid friendly and I think we, we will have a good turnout this year. I mean, even if we only raised $10,000 this year, it's still $10,000 toward a great, organize a great nonprofit organization that they didn't have.
Jason Spiess
The other thing too is that this is an outdoor event, assuming that the weather holds, uh, giving an outdoor event makes people feel a little bit safer. Plus there's already been a number of different events that people now have seen kind of how the logistics work and that these can happen. You can do large outdoor gatherings where people are safe and people are fine.
In fact, you know, they're talking about bringing back the NFL and a few other type of, uh, large venue things with fans and those people are sitting less than six ft away a lot of cases. So when I kind of look at the overall of this, I think it's, it's fantastic. It's still going on. I think it's a step in the right direction.
I think it's gonna raise a lot of money for kids that are gonna have wishes granted. And let's talk about that because that's really what this is about. It's about make a wish. It's about granting wishes. It's about the kids. I I assume it's still make a wish. Did you guys change on me or we still make a wish here
Tiffany Steiner
we are still making with north because we really love giving back to our community, to southwestern North Dakota to our neighbors and to people that we know and that's why we love the boston barbecue so much because we can make a difference in our community.
Jason Spiess
So looking at the event, I'll start with thursday night since I've kind of piggybacked and added that into the event. But I'm really looking forward to it. We have the mayor of bismarck, former host of Energy Matters steve bock in. He's gonna talk a little bit about that Uh civic side as far as what the oil and gas community or what the oil and gas industry does to build communities and we're gonna have Tiffany steiner and Jackie Jenkins, the two were talking with talk about the
community side. These two have singlehandedly spearheaded a large barbecue that raised $100,000 last year. Yes, there are volunteers, but I said spearheaded. So when Well, I mean, somebody's gotta get credit at the end of the day, you know, and that's, that's just one of the advantages and disadvantages of being in the position that you guys are in because hey, the good times roll uphill and the bad times roll downhill.
So, uh, it is, yeah, it's, it's not glamorous being at the top. Trust me. And you know, and then we're gonna bring in Patrick Burton Oli, he's the community enhancement director in Watford City. He's doing a lot with the youth there and kind of some integration of some different community aspects with with the government side of things in terms of building.
So I'm really looking forward to it because that's the one thing that I noticed, You know, for me, I'm not an oil and gas background. I'm egg, you know, I'm five, I was five, I grew up five hours away from the nearest oil. Well, I fell in love with the industry. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing. And the thing that gets me about the oil and gas industry is how they build communities.
They really do now, Tiffany, I know, I know you've grown up in the oil and gas community, Jackie, I don't know how long you've been there. I know at least 10 years. Um, talk to me a little bit about how you guys have seen the oil and gas industry build culture and community and it's a really wide open question. So I
Jackie Jenkin
started in the oil and gas went uh 10 years ago and I was surprised just coming into it, never knowing really anything about it, you know, I kind of watched my family in and out of the oil field throughout the years and didn't know really what to think of it, but once I started, I was amazed by how generous and how amazing these companies are and supportive of our community and it's not just our local companies, it's the companies for Denver texas all over the country that are really
supportive of events that are going on in south north Dakota in the bacon and it's just amazing to see. And you know, even throughout the years of all the ups and downs, we've still had lots of support and you know, we don't always make the dollar amount, we, we have a, we have in mind but everything helps and it's just amazing to work alongside and get to know these people and create these relationships.
Tiffany Steiner
I would also add that Jason that a lot of people don't even know the full aspect of what oil companies can do for communities because a lot of times they don't put it out in the public that they do certain things because they do love giving back to the community and they don't need that recognition.
They do it because that's what they love. And they want to build their communities for the Children and for others to grow up into an oil community and hopefully potentially can work for them because they are separate companies to be with.
Jason Spiess
You know, Wyoming recently went down to zero rigs and we were talking about that in the program and the part that I brought up that the individuals I was talking to didn't realize was not only is this going to affect, you know, the, the jobs and that whole supply chain of 100 100 workers per oil rig, but you're talking about now educational taxes getting impacted. You're talking about the local baseball teams, probably not having uniforms anymore because the oil companies were
picking that up and the service companies were donating to, you know, the little league uh, concession stands and it's those little things that I saw that I saw the oil and gas service companies and, and operators and that's the part that I fell in love with.
That was the part that I saw that, wow! They get it. They get it. Yeah. There they might be making good money sometimes. But boy, they give back really, they work hard and play hard and give hard too. So that was, yeah, go ahead. Sorry.
Tiffany Steiner
All of our services for the barbecue. We get donated as well and we cannot thank those companies enough. I know I called one today short notice for next week help us out. And they didn't hesitate at all to help us. And that truly, you know, maybe they do have jobs and have to pull people off, but they're gonna get our job done for us because that is what our community does. You know, our industry does that for the community.
Jackie Jenkin
And some of the companies that have out, they'd be out to me or mention, you know, hey, if you guys need help, we are, our company can't be there. But we're gonna be there. We're gonna put your event because we just enjoy it so much.
Jason Spiess
Let's talk about the companies involved and then transition into kind of a preview of what's going on and what people can anticipate at the event. So I don't know if you've got the company's handy or the sponsors, but you named several, You know that there's some volunteers in terms of, uh, businesses that are donating. Uh, and just kind of take an opportunity to mention some of these sponsors and volunteers and, and people are giving to the cause.
Jackie Jenkin
So our lineup for this year, I'm gonna, I'm gonna name these companies off since we have 14 this year and they stuck through the thick and thin. So I think they need a little recognition. Um, we have Nikko to services and rentals WP X Energy GMG garbage Ion field services, Denny's electric and Extreme Underground J Ari rentals. Nd energy services and tech industries Wyoming casing went in Sons Oilfield services, LLC hurricane and North country oil and screaming Eagle energy.
Well, pro inc elite lift power solutions in Bismark bucks football. And I just cannot thank these companies enough for still taking the time to come out and support this event.
Jason Spiess
How about the event itself? We're looking at uh, from my memory serves me live auctions and and some kid events. That type of thing. Talk to me about, you know, the event itself, what, what are you guys still planning on doing this year And if there's any changes.
Tiffany Steiner
So the one thing we do want to talk about as well is we are taking covid very seriously. You know, we want to make sure we can do this event safely for our companies, for the volunteers for make a wish and for the participants that come. So because of the number of companies were able to spread those out. So they will be further apart from each other.
We're also able to add more tables so there are 6 to 10 ft apart as well. We will also have like hand washing stations. We will have hand sanitizer on every tables. We also will be selling hankies at the front door with the bar barbecue pig on it. He's pretty cute. So you probably want to buy one. Um, but so just so people know not something we didn't think about.
We thought we thought about this every step of the way helping to make sure this event is safe for people because at the end of the day, we still need to raise money for make a wish. But we also want to keep everyone safe and that's our main concern for everything. Um, with that being said, we are still gonna have a fun bacon event. We're gonna have the kitty corner, we're gonna have face paint.
I know boxes handing out footballs and t shirts and tank tops. Um, we still have Mavericks bar providing all the alcohol. We have a DJ this year. Um, the reason we told the DJ is we wanted to go along with our beach themes. We want a lot of cool music with that. Um, and this is the first year we're gonna have book writing. So I hope to see everyone on that bowl and see how long you can stay on. ...
Jason Spiess
Mm hmm.
Tiffany Steiner
Yeah, it's gonna, we're really excited that we're selling um, some vodka barbecue swing as well. So we're gonna see if people are interested in buying that. Um, but I think it's gonna be great um, staring at our map right now and it makes me pretty excited.
Jason Spiess
Are you guys still doing the live? Go
Tiffany Steiner
ahead. It's pretty much like christmas morning for Jackie and I maybe not for anyone else, but for us to, we wake up that morning and it's like we wake up at four in the morning because we're so excited to get
Jason Spiess
there about the live auction. I didn't, I, I didn't catch that. I guess if is that still happening or did that take a change this year, yep.
Jackie Jenkin
So we still have the live auction going on, we have some prizes, we're still working on with some of the companies that are trying to decide what, what they're doing. Uh and we're gonna have the hog hunt that we had last year. We're gonna have a little mini max semi truck. Yeah, so just some, a great list of prizes and once we get those finalized we'll get those posted on facebook so everybody can kind of know what to expect. And then we also still have the um raffle this year and if
anybody's looking for tickets, they can reach out to Tiffany and I on facebook or at our or Dakota community bank, Karen Dickinson located on blurred and then uh we have all the excellent prizes that we've had the last couple of years. The razor or the ranger, a gun, beef, a grill, an awesome Yeti cooler Tiffany and I ordered a 1 10 Yeti this year if you can carry it off the
Tiffany Steiner
lot. Good luck, ... those
Jason Spiess
Yeti coolers and the ones the similar brands, I don't know, you know, whatever, yeah, whatever, exactly, those are amazing like and I do not throw that word word around much, but I do travel a lot and I drive, I prefer to drive over flying and now I got a dog, I travel with so I need a cooler and I am just, it is like night and day. I felt, I felt so stupid for using a non Yeti cooler my entire life as long as I did actually because it was, it was that much of a difference of keeping stuff cold and
airtight and etcetera. So anyway, there's your plug for Yeti for the day. I did, I felt stupid. Anyway, so okay, so what was the other thing the hog hunt, the prizes, the razor raffle
Tiffany Steiner
Prizes have over $20,000 in prizes for $10. So I mean it's a pretty simple by, I feel
Jason Spiess
do you guys have a list of those by the
Tiffany Steiner
way they are there on our facebook.
Jason Spiess
Okay. I was going to find it or shoot it to me in an email if you have it in a nice little word file or, or text document because then I can copy and paste it on our social media pages because those are some good prizes and you know, I, I didn't even know that you guys were still doing the razor and everything. It's kinda you know, these, these great prizes have kind of fallen under the radar with all the covid concerns and just the logistics of everything and so it's, it's um, you know, which
is a good thing, you know that we're not driven by materialism as much as I thought we were as a society. So that was, that was a good thing. But you guys are still giving away the big prizes. So anyways, sorry, it's a little little bit of uh existentialism hear on the radio.
Tiffany Steiner
I can see, I've talked to a couple of companies and I've seen kind of what they've been ordering for their, I shouldn't say giveaways, but their decorations because it's a beach theme. So make sure you wear your flip flops and a tank top, because there's gonna be a bunch of beach balls and lays and all the grass skirts and all that kind of fun stuff.
And I think it's gonna be a lot of fun this year and I know there's a certain company that's gonna serve ice cream and let me tell you there's gonna be more ice cream than I think people. So I hope everyone gets a couple ice cream phones in.
Jason Spiess
I sure hope somebody builds that lifeguard tower for the master of ceremonies because that lifeguard tower would be so fun to have, but not, I'm just saying
Tiffany Steiner
you, aren't you? I'm sorry, what's that? I said? I think you're gonna bring it with you, aren't you?
Jason Spiess
Uh well, hopefully someone will just deliver it and drop it off. That's that's one of the, yeah, that's, I'm not very good at my lifeguard building tools, but no, it's, this is gonna be a beach theme. I'll dress accordingly. It's gonna be fun and it's anything else that we need to know about. The bacon barbecue.
Are you guys still accepting? Obviously you take donations right up to the time, but um is it too late for you know uh printed marketing materials? Are you still looking for auction items? How about swag giveaways type of a thing? You know, use this time to kind of put a plea out there for things.
Tiffany Steiner
Yeah we definitely will not turn down any donations or even cookers if you want to come cook and you can get everything together within a week by all means come join us. We're gonna really have a beach in good time this year and I think it's going to be an event of the summer. May be the only events, but you know what, it's the event of the summer. So we're excited. We hope to see everyone out and you know, I think it's gonna definitely be a unique year.
Jackie Jenkin
Come have a beach in good time at the eighth annual bacon barbecue friday, august 21st from 4 to 10 p.m. At the West River Ice Center in Dickinson. North Dakota, kitty corner live auction beverages provided by Mavericks and music. This event will benefit make a Wish North Dakota admission is $20 for adults, $10 for Children, 9 to 15, 8 and under are free and for more information to sponsor participate, please email bacon B. B. q at Hotmail dot com.
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