Cow Camp has donated a portion of the proceeds of the Cow Camp Kickoff to the Cherokee Home for Children for the last couple of years. Mr. Shawn Hull of Cherokee Home for Children said, 'It is an honor to us to be recognized right here in our own county. It means an awful lot. We will do our best to take care of the kids well with it.'
Cow Camp Kickoff of San Saba has been going on every year for about 40 years. Larry Davis and Keith Hebert took it over about five years ago. It is a competition BBQ cookoff. A sanctioning body comes in. There are certain rules that have to be followed. They cook brisket, spare ribs, pork ribs, and chicken. They also have Jackpot categories of Dutch Oven Desserts, and they make anything you can imagine in a dutch oven. And they also have good old Texas pinto beans.
The public is invited. They have music, vendors, lemonade and food vendors.
The money made is from entry fees and a lot of sponsors in town. They said most of the local businesses give to this and are very good about giving back to the community and helping out this endeavor. This increases the prize fund. The bigger prize fund brings in more entries, and it enables Cow Camp to give more to the Cherokee Home for Children.
How can you participate in Cow Camp next year?
Get in touch with Larry or Keith.
Keith said they have locals come out and cook. They have circuit cookers that cook every weekend somewhere in Texas. This year, they had someone north of Dallas come here to cook.
About Cherokee Home for Children
Mr. Hull and his wife, Janis, have been at the Cherokee Home for Children for about 12 years. Janis is the Public Relations officer, and she is the one to help those who want to volunteer get plugged in at the Cherokee Home.
What is Cherokee Home for Children? They take care of any kids who need a home regardless of their financial situation. They are able to operate free of charge. They provide homes for kids who need a safer environment. Maybe their parents are in a family crisis where they are not able to care for them. Maybe they have been being raised by grandparents or great-grandparents who are aging to the point that it is hard for them to care for the kids. Some of the kids come to them from some of the bigger cities where they are in rough environments, and they just need a stable place where they can get some good Christian stability with a predictable day.
Mr. Hull said, 'Right now, what we are realizing is the need in our focus, and we are really excelling at getting these kids to the next stage, whether it is college, trade school, military, and then staying with them and helping fund some of those things. It sometimes helps break the chain of relying on others and becoming independent.'
Faith based organization taken care of by churches and private individuals. They no longer take money from the state which makes it easier for them to do what they know is best for the kids.
Cherokee Home for Children started in 1968, and Mr. and Mrs. Hull have been with them about 12 years.
How can you help out with Cherokee Home for Children?
You can go to their website chc4kids.org or give them a call at 325-622-4201. You can then connect with Janis who connects the local volunteers with the needs there. They also have a Facebook Page and an Instagram Page for Cherokee Home for Children.