Block Party Backyard BBQ Cook-Off in Imperial Beach

“People are going to be coming from all over and that will be great for our community.”

“Downtown was just dying. I have lived in town my whole life and we really thought it would be a good thing to have it downtown and bring commerce and people shopping into town.”

No, it's not happening in IB - at least not yet anyway - it's happening today for the fifth year in a row in a small Illinois town called Glen Ellyn.  

In what began as a small neighborhood block party - after only four years - was proclaimed "State Championship Status" by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn earlier this year.

Since its inception, the event has benefited Bridge Communities, a grassroots community dedicated non-profit organization.

Sounds like a great idea for Imperial Beach! Actually, it sounds a lot like Sandcastles.

For many years the #1 fundraiser for our local schools was the now defunct US Open Imperial Beach Sandcastle Competition.

Since its demise, school district budgets have experienced even further cuts, and our community has done nothing to replace the funds for local schools that have exhausted all sources of revenue, yet continue doing so much - with so little - to educate the future.

Now I'm not saying that Imperial Beach should attempt "state championship status" - which gets too big - and we see how that worked out.  But I do believe that a well planned local "Block Party Backyard BBQ Cook-Off" would be a fun way to start giving back to our future.

If this post has made you hungry for a BBQ fundraiser today go to Seaside Candy between 12pm and 3pm. Facebook post here...

What do you think about a Block Party Backyard BBQ Cook-Off in Imperial Beach?  
 
What do you think about the community doing something else to help local schools?
 
Let us know in a comment below...