Bikes - Cars - Barbecue

Tar Heel BBQ Championship
Nov. 1, 2008

The Reason For It All

       By Jerry Gardner

In 1992, the Home Builders Association of Cleveland County (North Carolina) had a vision.  That vision has since grown into an extravaganza known as the Hog Happnin'.

What is the Hog Happnin'?

• A BBQ cooking competition to rival most on the East Coast.  
• A classic car and motorcycle show to dazzle the eye and bring back cherished memories.
• BBQ so good you will forget Mama's home cooking for at least a week.  
• Entertainment and crafts in abundance.  
• Enough going on over the entire fairgrounds to keep you busy for a whole day.
• Home Builder members and their families coming together for a good purpose.  

But best of all:

• The Children's Homes of Cleveland County and the children themselves.

In the beginning, a few of our members wanted to start a BBQ competition and we did.  But now the Hog Happnin' is more about children than about anything else.  It's about a score of children who, for reasons not of their doing, cannot live in their real home.  Everyone thinks these children need people like us and they do, but we have learned an undeniable lesson: We need them, too.

Aaron's House and the James Home are separated by only about 10 miles but are united by a superpower by the name of Margie Christopher.  Margie is the solid rock in the storms of these kids' lives.  We have learned first hand about her stamina, wisdom and positive attitude.  She is a joy to work with, and many a Home Builder has learned these qualities from her.  She has taught us not just about the kids but about our community and our obligation to it.

Margie has helped us become what we are today.  Hog Happnin' is the only contest I have ever attended where winners give back part of their prize money to the charity.  This year it was B. S. Pitmeisters of Boiling Springs, SC.  Charles Fretwell, the team captain and chief cook, endorsed and handed his first winner's check to Margie and the children.  And Charles is not alone; there have been many, dating back to our beginning in 1992.  

For the past several years we have been working primarily for Margie and her kids but there have been others in our past. Charities such as: Hospice, South Mountain Children's Home and Life Enrichment Center. We also contribute in a smaller way to other local organizations.

Last, but surely not least, we owe our gratitude to our sponsors.  Without them and their support none of this would be possible.  Whether the sponsor is a bank, a restaurant, a business, or just one person, all together they form the backbone of the Hog Happnin'.  

In helping 20 or so children, we received much more than we gave.  We gained much more knowledge than we bestowed.  Our vision has become reality.

Jerry, Jim, Ronnie, Rick & Robert
Hog Happnin' Committee