The 11th Annual BackStoppers of Jefferson County BBQ returns to Cedar Hill on September 19, bringing ribs, live music, fireworks and a raffle for a 2026 Maverick truck or $15,000 cash to Big River VFW Post 5331 at #1 Lynn Lane. The event, hosted by Gerding Enterprises, Inc. and Screaming Eagle Grill, runs from 11 a.m. until dark, with meals, children's activities and meet-and-greets with first responders planned throughout the day.
What started as a modest cookout has become one of the region's biggest grassroots fundraisers for The BackStoppers, Inc. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the barbecue was organized by local aerospace business owner Chuck Gerding to support emergency personnel after 9/11, and it grew from raising $12,500 at its inaugural 2016 event to a record $151,205.80 at last year's 10th annual gathering. The Sheriff's Office also notes that the barbecue has developed into the largest single-event donation generator for The BackStoppers, Inc. outside of the flagship Budweiser Guns 'N Hoses event in St. Louis.
During last September's barbecue, Jefferson County Undersheriff Tim Whitney formally designated Gerding as an honorary Sheriff's Deputy, recognizing a decade of community leadership benefiting emergency personnel and their families, per the same Sheriff's Office account. That gesture underscores how tightly the county's law enforcement leadership and the event's organizers have become intertwined over the years.
What's on the Menu and What It Costs
This year's spread includes a rib meal with three bones, a half chicken meal and a pork steaks meal, each priced at $15 and served with two sides and a cookie. Extra sides cost $1 each. Smaller options include an all-beef hot dog for $4, pork steak burgers and bratwurst at $6 apiece, and corn on the cob for $3, with sides like potato salad, mac and cheese, creamy coleslaw and pork and beans rounding out the offerings.
Diners who want food to go can preorder by calling 636-274-9803 or emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Carry Out for Benefit,” with orders due by 3 p.m. on September 17. Raffle tickets cost $10 each, with a buy-10-get-one-free deal, and the grand prize — a 2026 Maverick truck or $15,000 cash — is sponsored by Reuther Ford. Second place pays $2,500, third place $1,500 and fourth place $1,000, though taxes and fees are not included in any prize.
Where the Money Goes
The BackStoppers, Inc. covers a 28-county territory spanning 18 counties in eastern Missouri and 10 counties in southwestern Illinois, serving police officers, firefighters, volunteer firefighters, and publicly funded paramedics and EMTs, according to the organization's own data. The nonprofit distributes roughly $3 million in financial assistance annually and currently supports more than 100 families with about 75 dependent children, having assisted over 200 families since it was founded.
For surviving families of fallen first responders, BackStoppers eliminates all outstanding debt, pays health and dental insurance, covers real estate taxes, and funds educational expenses from daycare through college, the organization states. Catastrophically injured first responders can also receive up to $150,000 in direct assistance. The charity traces its roots to 1959, when Meatcutters Union Local #8 president Nicholas Blassie and St. Louis Globe-Democrat publisher Richard H. Amberg modeled it after Detroit's Hundred Club to bridge gaps left by modest municipal death pensions.
A New Focus on Prevention
In June, BackStoppers expanded beyond post-tragedy aid by launching a Cardiac Wellness Program to fund early-detection screenings for first responders, aiming at cardiovascular events that account for nearly half of on-duty firefighter fatalities. The initiative reflects a broader shift toward proactive care alongside the organization's traditional role of supporting families after a line-of-duty death or injury.
The Cedar Hill barbecue is one of several community efforts feeding into that mission across the St. Louis region. Hoodline previously reported on the Backstoppalooza concert in Chesterfield and on the Budweiser Guns 'N Hoses boxing tournament, BackStoppers' largest annual fundraiser, which is set to hold its 39th edition at Enterprise Center on November 25 with a broadcast reaching an estimated 500 million households. The nonprofit itself is overseen by an uncompensated 30-member Board of Directors and managed by Executive Director Lt. Col. Lawrence M. O'Toole, a retired St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer.
Beyond the big-ticket events, smaller local efforts have also chipped in for the cause, including novelty mug sales by the Chesterfield Police Department benefiting families of fallen first responders. For Cedar Hill, though, the September 19 barbecue remains the marquee date, with organizers hoping this year's turnout can build on last year's record haul for families still leaning on BackStoppers' support.
