As we enter the fifth year of the Athletics Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser, a beloved SLOCA tradition, we want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at where this tradition came from, what it takes to put it on, who benefits, and how you can be a part of it.
the sport that started it all
When SLOCA High School (SLOCAHS) decided to add tackle football to the Grizzly athletics program, it wasn’t as easy as just gathering a few willing student athletes. Between the cost of helmets, pads, uniforms, equipment, coaching staff, field rentals, game day transportation, and hiring referees, having a High School tackle football team is far from cheap.
In 2022, a group of SLOCAHS parents was determined to turn this dream into a reality. With the help of a SLOCA parent connection, they decided to host an authentic tri-tip BBQ fundraiser in partnership with former local chef and current Cuesta College Culinary Instructor Graham Yates.
Yates’ two stipulations in partnering with SLOCAHS Athletics were clear: the food needed to be restaurant-quality, and the process of cooking it needed to be at the level of a real commercial kitchen. The BBQ parent committee also understood that the football players needed to be involved since it was their own program that they were raising funds for, and thus began the annual Athletics Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser.
The meal would include a Santa Maria-style, aged tri-tip roast; freshly home-made baked beans; salad made from locally sourced produce; and garlic bread smothered in butter with a generous helping of fresh garlic. This would be a meal sourced from the community, cooked by the community, and made for the community.
behind-the-scenes
Over the years, the fundraiser expanded to benefit not just the SLOCAHS football team but all Fall sports, including girls volleyball, girls golf, and boys and girls cross country.
With this expansion to include other fall sports teams (and with the reputation of the meal), the reach of the fundraiser also grew, and last year sold a whopping 226 tri-tip meals (plus 46 tri-tip add-ons)!
To host a fundraiser as large as this, the Drive-Thru BBQ is more than just a one day effort.
Some of the first preparation begins with our HS athletes. Our Fall athletes are responsible for selling tickets for the fundraiser; after all, boosted sales have a direct impact on the sports they play. And, being athletes, what could be better motivation than some friendly competition? The athlete who sells the most BBQ tickets wins a generous gift card. Last year, freshman Ezra Newman sold the most dinners—20 total—and won a gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods!
The food preparation also begins far earlier than just the day of. Jill Talley, a member of the SLOCA Board of Directors and the BBQ Committee, mentioned that the tri-tip meat is purchased over a month in advance to properly cure. In sharing about the preparation process, Talley also reported, “Because everything’s gotten so large—we now do, like, over 200 dinners—we prep all [the beans] on Wednesday and just cool everything and then bring it on Friday.”
When it comes to the actual day of, SLOCAHS athletes and parents begin cooking and preparing the kitchen around 8am at the SLO Vets Hall. As tri-tips come off the fire, students immediately begin to wrap them and place them in coolers to keep them hot and fresh. Other students begin to package the rest of the side dishes and help assemble the bagged dinner. Meanwhile, parents drive dozens of orders to two convenient North and South County pick-up locations.
Families arrive during their pre-arranged pick-up window, ready to feast on this long-awaited meal. “We love the barbecue every year. The food’s so good, we buy extra meals and freeze them for later. It’s a great cause, and we’re proud to support it and be a part of the community,” shares long-time SLOCA parent Adam Bruntz.
bbq for a cause
As Bruntz mentioned in his testimonial, all of this planning and effort is going towards a valuable cause. “Keep our kids moving!” says Erin Bernal, a SLOCA aunt. She continues, “I have purchased the SLOCA BBQ for several years. The tri-tip, the beans, the salad, the bread, are all so delicious and ample. Plus, the proceeds go to a great cause—athletics!”
At SLOCA, athletics are more than just a common extracurricular activity. High School teacher and baseball coach Dr. Josh Rocha writes in his Down Home blog post, “Athletics and the Classical Tradition,” that being involved in athletics “promot[es] mental and physical health, hon[es] the virtues, and educat[es] the whole person.” So, yes, the cause is to keep our SLOCAHS student-athletes moving in their sports, but it’s also an investment in their whole-person formation as they lean into living a flourishing life.
how you can support
In the last four years, the Drive-Thru BBQ has been able to donate over $45,000 in proceeds to help fund our Fall sports teams. This year, as our BBQ planning committee experiences the burden of skyrocketing meat prices and inflation, they have set an ambitious goal to raise $25,000 this year alone to cover both the expenses of the meal and meet the needs of the athletic teams for this season. So, how can you support this cause?
- Buy a dinner for your family + friends. Each meal costs $80 and feeds 4-5 adults. You may also add an additional tri-tip for $45 if you’re looking to feed a larger group or save the leftovers for a future meal!
- Donate a dinner to another family. If you know anyone who is homebound, has an open meal train, or just needs a break from cooking for one night, you are able to pick up a dinner for another family or name another person to pick up your order! This is a great and tangible way to serve our neighbors and local community.
- Spread the word. If you’re out of town for this weekend or are unable to support the fundraiser yourself, then tell your friends about it! It’s hard to pass up a quality tri-tip meal, especially if it’s for a cause.
- Donate. Not a meat-eater? That’s okay. We have vegetarian and vegan families who want to be involved so they’ve decided to generously donate in lieu of purchasing a meal. We’re grateful for every donation we receive—every dollar goes a long way!
Ready to buy your BBQ ticket? Head over to our event page for more information and to purchase your tickets. For the 2026 Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser, ticket sales close on October 2!
