The Men Who Grill event, which was scheduled to take place Saturday in Buckley Park in Durango, has been called off this year.
Tammy Tyner, executive director of the Women’s Resource Center, which puts on the annual fundraiser, said inflation is partly to blame for the decision to call off the event. Also, it is a financial commitment for teams to participate.
“We really wanted to put it on, but the teams were just struggling, and we really needed to honor them and say, ‘OK, wait a minute, maybe this year is just too big of a challenge,’” she said.
The Women’s Resource Center sent a blast email at 10:30 a.m. Friday announcing its “difficult decision.”
Instead, the center will host a digital fundraiser.
The Men Who Grill Competition has historically consisted of 12 to 18 teams, each of which were responsible for providing and preparing their own grilled dish with enough food to field 400 samples.
Tyner said the fundraiser has been “crucial” in supporting the nonprofit’s programs and has brought in between $18,000 to $22,000 a year.
“The money went into the resource and referral program, which is like the umbrella of all of our programs,” Tyner said.
Typically, revenue is generated from corporate sponsorship, individual donations and ticket sales – which range from $24 to $35.
With the move to a digital platform, money from ticket sales will decline, but Tyner said community members can still donate on any of the Women’s Resource Center’s webpages.
She said no sponsors have withdrawn their donations.
“We’re working with our partnering teams and organizations to create something bigger, better, more viable next year,” she said. “We are planning on doing another great big event, and we’re working to determine what that might look like and what the community needs.”
lveress@durangoherald.com
