October 28 2006

Well gang, there’s good news this week.

Last week we held the 6th Annual Montrose Beer and Gun Club Cook-off and Musical Extravaganza to benefit kids who wished things were better.

We are happy to report that we raised $10,000…not too shabby for a bunch of trigger- happy drunks.

Sitting around club headquarters, the Benefit Committee was trying to figure out who to credit for our success.

To some, it was a no brainer…the cooks, of course.

They pay to enter the competition, they pay for the food that they cook, the propane, the tents etc. And after cooking in the hot sun all day, they get the chance to pack up all their stuff, schlep it back home and clean it up for the next time.

If they’re lucky enough, or good enough, they receive a trophy from the Montrose Beer and Gun Club.

The smiles on their faces as they accept their trophies tell you that it was all worth it.

As for those that don’t win, they have smiles on their faces also. As if to say, "We’re just happy to be here."

And that goes for everybody.

If something needs getting done, some how someone steps up, lugs a table, a garbage can, a five gallon bucket of water, or runs an errand of some kind.

The bands, crowd pleasers all, don’t get paid for their efforts. And all those items at the silent auction are, of course, donated by sponsors.

Finally, there are the folks who pay five bucks at the door, some of whom say, "Keep the change." And maybe they buy some of the things at the silent auction.

The spirit of the thing is sort of summed up by the "Zippo Guy".The "Zippo Guy" has a Zippo lighter engraved with "Montrose Beer and Gun Club", and our motto; "Beer Before Breakfast, Death Before Dishonor".

Every year "Zippo Guy" donates it to the silent auction, keeps bumping up the bid, and then pays close attention to the bidding at the very end, and then makes sure that he buys it back every year.

It takes a lot of people to make it work, and we needed every one of them.

So instead of shining the spot light on any one person or group, the Benefit Committee just wants to send the message: "Thank you all, you done damn good".

Till next week
Helga Biermeister
Secretary