Rain didn't stop the giving spirit of the Golden Empire. Many people showed up for the TV-17 and Haliburton barbecue fundraiser, benefiting the Bakersfield Homeless Center. The goal Wednesday was to raise $16,000 for the less fortunate in our community.
The rain was steady, unlike the flow of customers when the barbecue got started at 5:30 a.m. But soon, those hungry to help started trickling into the drive-thru. Volunteers braved the rain, taking donations from gracious customers, like Martha Johnson.
"Lots of people are homeless nowadays. We have people sleeping in automobiles and tents under the bridges. People need assistance. They need help and we can help. I want to be part of it," explained Johnson.
Soon, bags of breakfast burritos were flying out of the tents, helping the Bakersfield Homeless Center and getting the day off to the right start for Alex Hall.
"I'm going to be the office hero this morning. It’s tax season for us accountants, and I'm going to bring some burritos in and make everybody happy," said Hall.
Come lunchtime, more people were making a splash into the drive-thru. Volunteers from Haliburton were back at the grill. And, as burgers were flipping, so was the weather. The sun began shining down on the fundraiser’s last hours.
"It's going to help people who every day are just asking for a a little bit of help," explained Louis Gill with the Bakersfield Homeless Center. "Today is a great example, if you don't have a place to live, it's really rough."
The barbecue fundraiser raised $15,711 for the Bakersfield Homeless Center. And, Wednesday evening a woman stopped by our studios to present a check for $289 to bring the total to $16,000, the original goal.
