CASTAIC – BBQ booths, games, live music and a kids zone are just some of the highlights of the Sheriff Department’s third annual “999 For Kids” Summer Showdown BBQ Competition.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 21 at the Jack Bones Equestrian Center, located at 26983 Tapia Canyon Road in Castaic.
Entry to the event is free; tasting/judging cards are only $10; and children 12 and under receive a free tasting card with a paid adult.
There will be 19 teams participating in the BBQ competition this year. Other activities will include a kids’ area complete with department displays, pony rides, games, and a rock climbing wall. Numerous vendors will be on site selling their wares; and world-renowned chainsaw artist, Jamie Doeren, is scheduled to appear to create art during this event.
All proceeds will benefit “999 for Kids,” the Sheriff Department’s own charity for physically and mentally handicapped children who are the victims of child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence.
The “999 for Kids” program was established in 1986. It is a partnership between the Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCSF). The program’s mission is to provide equipment as well as activities to abused and/or severely handicapped children who have been placed into the care of the Specialized Placement Unit of DCFS.
“There are more than 1,000 children in this Program. The children are in need, and it is an honor to assist them in any way we can,” stated Program Chair and Santa Clarita Valley Station Captain Roosevelt Johnson.
Through generous donations, “999 for Kids” is able to provide a better quality of life for abused and/or severely handicapped children. Requests are processed and approved to provide wheelchairs, special equipment, computers, and scholarships to children in the program.
Captain Johnson stated: “These children have become a part of the system through no fault of their own. They are victims of child abuse, neglect and domestic violence. We hope to help them forget about the abuse and neglect.”
For more information on the third annual “999 For Kids” Summer Showdown BBQ Competition, visit the event’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/999forkidssummershowdownbbqcompetition.
For information on sponsorship, vending, or competing, contact Deputy Kristina Seitz at 661-618-8636 or email KKSeitz@lasd.org .
(Information via press release from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station.)