Hot Dogs And Dew

Yesterday we tailgated the BSU game and planned on giving away free food to the other fans. I got there at 2:30 in the afternoon to set up our grill and stake claim to our territory. They don't actually let you park in the parking lot, unless you have a prestigious yellow pass. And, judging by the motor homes that had them, I'll probably never own one. There were tents and RV's EVERYWHERE! These fans are very dedicated. We found a great location on a corner just outside the parking lot and next to a major sidewalk.


I sat there for about an hour by myself. I know some people like to be alone for extended periods of time, but I'm not that guy. It feels awkward just sitting there while people walk by you. I began to doubt if this was going to work. I was talking with a pastor friend of mine yesterday and he said they tried it one time at a park and gave away six hotdogs. Six! I had 120 to give away. I seriously considered getting the van and going home. I'm usually the optimist in the group, but all I could think about was getting stuck with ten dozen hotdogs. I'd be eating leftover franks for a month.


At 4:00 I fired up the grill. The game started at 6 and more and more people were starting to walk by. I opened my first pack and put 15 or so pink dogs on the grill. Then I sat back down on my lonely chair. I rotated them a few minutes later and put the buns and condiments out on my table. "Please let this work!" With the first batch looking well roasted it was time to see if anyone wanted a hotdog. Three college guys were walking by, "Free hot dogs . . . yours is getting burned." I used that line alot. "Really? Free dogs? Cool." They each ate two. I had already given away 6 hotdogs! 1 more and I would break the record. Another group of guys coming by, "Free dogs!" They replied, "I'm starving, didn't have time to eat dinner" Once they were around the grill, dog in hand, I'd hit em with the surprise twist, "There's mountain dew in the cooler behind you, help yourself." If you were judging solely by there reaction, you would have thought they won some sort of prize.


It's so funny to me that a 30¢ (option + 4 on a mac) hotdog can make someone's day. Over and over again I heard people say, "I can't believe you're just giving away hotdogs. That's so nice." One student actually said, "This is the highlight of my day. Free hotdogs, that's the spirit!" A few people did push until I told them why I was giving away food. I let them know we were a church plant and this was a great way to serve our neighbors. We really want to bless our community, even if it's only with a hotdog and cold drink.

About half way through the grilling, some more Connections people showed up. We finished the last half faster than the first. We talked with people about their majors, the point spread of the game, and one person brought up the Fiesta bowl from 2 years ago (2 years people, get over it). All in all we gave away 116 hotdogs (1 accidently got left in the box and I fumbled some during the hand offs). It took about an hour and a half total. We were done before the game started.

In all a VERY successful outing. It cost us 37 bucks for the dogs and another 25 or so for drinks (we got the real stuff, no one really likes Mountain Thunder). This was a huge win for us. The next game is against Hawaii. It's the biggest conference game of the year. I'm guessing I'm going to have to be there a little earlier to get my corner lot again. And, I think I'll double the order.