East Bay Stand Down Well Fed!

Pleasanton North Rotary (PNR) were joined by the Rotary Clubsof Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, Livermore Valley, and Tri-Valley Evening Rotary to cook and serve dinner for 775 on Sept. 17 at East Bay Stand Down, a biennial special event that delivers social services to at-risk and homeless U.S. military veterans from nine Bay Area counties.

 

PNR past president and Army veteran Ed Golden and friend of the club Sean Kyle smoked 550 pounds of brisket for the meal, which signaled the successful completion of the intensive four-day program for about 425 veterans and a support staff of 350.

 

Several acres of the Alameda County Fairgrounds wereconverted into a military encampment where the vets received social, psychological and substance abuse counseling, medical and dental services, legal and housing assistance, clothing and job counseling.  PNR member Ryan Spuller provided chiropractic services with four other chiropractors at the event. 

 

The brisket earned rave reviews as the “best ever” entrée to be served in recent memory at the event.  Ed and Sean fired up the smokers at 1 a.m. on Saturday to prepare the meat. PNR member André O. Wright acquired almond wood for smoking. Ed and Sean slept under a full moon at the Stand Down site to tend to the fire and meat.

 

Most other Rotarians arrived early Saturday afternoon for meal preparations. In addition to Ed, Sean, and Ryan, volunteers from PNR were Jim Brice, Debra Doble, Lara and daughter JuliaGolden, Tami and Bob Hennegan, Celia Mason, Dave Pitcher, Herb Ritter, frequent visiting Rotarian Bob Tucknutt, and Andréand his son André II. 

 

Volunteers from six of the Tri-Valley Rotary Clubs prepared 300 pounds of fresh green beans, 200 pounds of fresh zucchini squash and peppers and 36 cans of baked beans. Salad, dinner rolls, BBQ sauce, cookies, watermelon, lemonade and iced tea were also served. The six District 5170 Area 4 Rotary Clubs and individual Rotary members donated the food.  Cornerstone Church and the Church of Latter Day Saints supplied the BBQ smokers.