In case you could not get in touch with me on Friday, I was standing in the rain all afternoon.  But it was for a great cause, so please forgive me.  Beginning at 5:30am and lasting most of the day, 15 teams of local contractors and construction service providers weathered the storm for the AGC of Middle Tennessee, Construction Leadership Council’s First Annual BBQ in Red Shoes cook-off.  Both Stites & Harbison and Best Practices Construction Law helped sponsor the event.

In everything we do—whether you are a contractor, banker, painter, lawyer, parent—there is room for growth.  On a construction project, you may learn a better way to overcome weather delays.  On a construction loan, you may find a new way to structure the deal to benefit all the parties.  In a lawsuit, you may find a strategical advantage to filing a motion.  And in a BBQ cook-off, you may learn a thing or two.  What did I learn from working four hours in the rain?

Contractors love BBQ cook-offs.  I am not sure whether the attraction is getting an early start to the weekend … or the thought of an afternoon of meat and beer … but these guys and gals had a great time. 

Contractors love working hard.  We had over 25 volunteers that helped prepare for the day, set up tables at 5:30am, stand in the rain to sell tickets and t-shirts, and haul away bags of trash at the end of the day.  Just being a part of the team was a rewarding experience.

Contractors love helping others.  I was absolutely overwhelmed at the generosity of the individuals and teams that participated in the event.  The "Sustainable Smokers" from Waste Management took home BBQ Champion award (pictured above).  The event raised approximately $1,500 for Ronald McDonald House Charities, which was a good number given the heavy rain.  Better yet, though, the winning team at WM donated their entire cash prize of $1,250 to increase the total donation to close to $3,000!

The generosity did not end there.  As the teams were cleaning up for the day, the team from Turner Universal donated over 25 pounds of ribs, chicken and brisket to Lambscroft, an outreach that feeds up to 100 homeless individuals every Wednesday and Saturday night. 

Wow … what a great (rainy) day!