Meals on Wheels Rowan will sell Port-A-Pit barbecued chicken at their 12th annual BBQ Fundraiser March 10.

Plates are $12 and will include half a chicken chicken, slaw, baked beans, roll, dessert and drink. The sale location is First Presbyterian Church Salisbury on March 10 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 

The dining room is open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and eat-in customers get their choice of homemade desserts. The drive-through will be open on the Jackson Street side of the church from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Three additional drive-through locations will be available across the county from 4-6 p.m. for pre-ordered plates only.

Satellite drive-through sites include Shiloh United Methodist Church in Granite Quarry, Mt. Zion United Church of Christ in China Grove, and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Mt. Ulla.  Pre-ordered BBQ chicken plates will be available for drive-through pick-up from 4-6 p.m.

Kevin Pruitt, BBQ chairman, said, “Last year was the first time we offered satellite pick-up sites. These sites allow folks from across the county to participate in the BBQ sale and not have to drive into Salisbury to pick- up their chicken BBQ plates. All customers who pre-order can select the site where they want to pick up their plates.  If I were headed home to China Grove, I would want to pick up my BBQ plates on the way home, and this is more convenient for folks who live or work outside of Salisbury.”

The deadline for pre-ordered plates is March 5. Only pre-orders will be available at satellite pick-up locations in the county. Both pre-orders and same-day orders will be available at First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury.

Tom Robinson, president of the Board of Directors, said, “In previous years, the key to our sale was lunch deliveries. Last year we delivered over 1,100 plates between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. We will deliver any order of five or more plates.

“We have an incredible crew of delivery volunteers. During the weekend before the BBQ, our staff organizes all delivery orders based on the delivery time, location and the total number of meals that each volunteer can transport in their vehicle. This year, we will be delivering pre-packaged dessert and drinks with each plate.  Delivery orders are due by March 5. 

This year will be the third time Meals on Wheels has offered “Eat One, Feed One” tickets. Customers can choose to buy a $12 BBQ chicken plate for themselves or purchase a $20 ticket so that they can enjoy a BBQ chicken plate and a Meals on Wheels participant will receive a nutritious meal during March.

“If all 1,600 folks who bought a plate last year purchased an ‘Eat One, Feed One’ ticket, they would be providing 1,600 meals in March for homebound seniors in Rowan County,” said Program Director Sandy Combs.

“We hope to increase our sales this year by selling more drive-through plates for supper.  Our goal is to raise enough money to provide 3,000 meals for participants who cannot afford to pay the full cost of the meal program,” Pruitt said.

Board member Amy Ritchie, who managed the delivery orders last year said, “Over 75 volunteers will put up signs and banners, set-up the dining room and serving lines, serve up plates, greet eat-in customers, run the drive-through sites and clean up. Last year it took an additional 35 volunteers to deliver orders of five or more plates for lunch and dinner to businesses, homes and groups.”

Volunteers may sign up to volunteer for the 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. shift or the 1:30-6 p.m. shift at First Presbyterian. To volunteer, contact Cindy Fink at the Meals on Wheels office at 704-633-0352 or email her at cfink@mowrowan.org. 

Friends of Meals on Wheels provide homemade desserts for eat-in customers. To donate a dessert, contact Rose Jones, 704-633-0352 or email her at rjones@mowrowan.org.

As Robinson says, “Everybody’s gotta eat somewhere so eat with us.” To buy tickets or pre-order BBQ chicken plates, contact the Meals on Wheels office at 704-633-0352 or buy tickets on the Meals on Wheels website at www.mowrowan.org/bbqfundraiser.