Lee BIA Builders Care, the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA) raised a record $123,000 during its eighth annual BBQ, Bands & Brew fundraising event on Sunday, April 9 at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers. The event featured live music, barbecue-themed foods, a competition to name the best barbecue in town, the fifth annual Poker Run, a cornhole tournament, vendors and activities for kids. Presented by All Star Equipment Rentals and Sales, approximately 7,500 people came out to the event, which supported Lee BIA Builders Care’s mission to provide emergency repairs and construction services to elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged people who are unable to obtain home repairs through traditional means.
“With the help of dedicated staff, board of directors and more than 200 volunteers, we were able to carry out the most successful BBQ, Bands & Brew event to date,” said Christi Pritchett Sarlo, executive director of Lee BIA Builders Care. “We are so thankful for the local bands, sponsors, vendors and the Southwest Florida community that came together to make it happen for local homeowners in need.”
Live music was performed throughout the day by Soapy Tuna, Rockin’ Horse, Deb & the Dynamics and Ben Allen Band, a competition to name the Best barbecue in town and activities for kids. Barbecue-themed foods were provided by Bootleggers Waterfront BBQ, Bubba’s Roadhouse & Saloon, BurgerQue, Famous Dave’s, Jonesez BBQ, Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant, MOFO’s, Orange Tree Coffee and Slider City, and desserts by Artisan Gelato by Norman Love. A team of celebrity judges voted MOFO’s as winner of Best BBQ in Town. Other 2017 winners included Best Ribs by MOFO’s, Best Chicken by Jonesez BBQ, Best Pork by Famous Dave’s, Best Side Dish by Slider City, Best Presentation by Famous Dave’s, and for the eighth consecutive year, the People’s Choice Award went to Jonesez BBQ.
The title sponsor of this year’s event was All Star Equipment Rentals and Sales. Other major sponsors included: Ferguson, Sunset Air Conditioning, Cape Coral Plumbing, Moen, Minto Communities, Better Buildings, United Water Restoration, Argos, Action Automatic Door & Gate, Arthur Printing, Banks Engineering, Brent’s Music, Carter-Pritchett Advertising, Doc Fords, Everglades Farm Equipment, Five County Insurance, Florida Hydronic Solutions, Florida Weekly, Garden Street Portable Restrooms, Grabber Construction Products, Happenings Magazine, iHeartMedia, Kinetico Quality Water, Land Solutions Inc., Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC), Juniper Landscaping, Lightning Wireless Solutions, Miromar Outlets, Nilles Design Group, Priority Marketing, Promotional Incentives, Sarlo Power Mowers, Six Bends Harley Davidson, Southern Accents Catering, Stevens Construction, Suncoast Beverages/Shocktop, TargetonStar, the Trophy Case and WINK-TV.
About Builders Care:
Builders Care is the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA). Its mission is to provide emergency home repairs and construction services to elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged people who are unable to obtain home repairs through traditional means. Over the last decade, Lee BIA Builders Care has put more than $4 million in construction services back into the community at no cost to homeowners in need. Builders Care enlists the volunteer services of Lee BIA members and leverages grants and donated materials to provide construction and remodeling services to qualified homeowners throughout Lee County. Builders Care is headquartered at the Lee BIA offices at 10501 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Suite 118 in Fort Myers. The Building Industry Association (www.BIA.net ) is a 62-year-old association affiliated with National Home Builders Association and Florida Home Builders Association that serves to strengthen our community by advancing a professional building industry through advocacy, education and services. Donations can be made online at www.LeeBuildersCare.com, or to the Builders Care general fund at BB&T Page Field branch at 4959 South Cleveland Ave. in Fort Myers. More information is available by calling 239-938-0056. Follow Builders Care at Facebook.com/LeeBuildersCare or on Twitter @LeeBuildersCare.
