Thriller On The Griller

2009 was 8Th year for Thriller On The Griller at Food Lion stores located from Myrtle Beach SC to Atlantic Beach NC. We visited a total of fourteen stores. Over $50,000 was raised by this event for Children's Miracle Network (CMN). Thriller was started by Joe Stock, operations manager for Food Lion, after he visited a hospital his daughter was working as a nurse. There was an equipment need for the Childrens ward which Joe raised funds to buy. From fulfilling that need Joe continued to raise donations which now go to CMN hospitals. In my opinion Joe Stock is the "Jerry Lewis" of CMN. This cause has to be on his hart because he is tireless in the fund raising effort for the past eight years. Every day he is out front of the Food Lion for five hours (sometimes longer) in 90 degree heat pushing for donations. My small part of making Lancaster's Barbecue sandwiches wore me out! I do not know how Joe does it except for the love of the kids driving him to raise more and more money each year for them. I could not get Joe to video an interview. He does not desire to be in the "spot light" for his efforts. That is why I am writing about him.

We had other vendor partners that also worked very hard on the Thriller tour. Charles King with Cheerwine has a two man team helping him with the tents, food wagon, and silent auction. The whole deal was like a traveling circus without the elephants. Everything had to be set up and torn down at each store. With the travel, hot weather, and physical work, we did not have any trouble sleeping every night.

Johnsonville Brats supplied a grill for the South Carolina stores (plus all the brats we cooked) and Uncle Yammy's (Steve Johnson) Grilling Sauce supplied the grill for the North Carolina stores. I took the Lancaster's Barbecue trailer and cooked/made barbecue sandwiches at the North Carolina stores (Lancaster's Barbecue is not in the South Carolina Food Lion's (yet).

Budweiser and Miller beer had people and tents at every store selling hat's, shirts, and other things to increase the fund raising. Kelloggs employees came to all the stores to help push silent auction items, sell coolers, and sample some great Special K products (I am hooked on the protein tea mix). Other companies that gave products to sell or give away were Lance, Hawaiian Tropic, Frito Lay, Snapple, and Coppertone.

Over $50,000 was raised for Childrens Miracle Network this year. Food Lion is lucky to have an Operations Manager like Joe Stock that would take on this extra work to organize and be a part of this yearly event. Many people commented positive words about Food Lion for having Thriller in front of their store.

You can see pictures by clicking here and video by clicking here