UNION COUNTY, NC – On Friday, January 15, 2021, the Union County Crime Stoppers held their 29th annual BBQ fundraiser. With over 700 tickets pre-sold and only 1,000 plates available, the BBQ sold out within an hour! Delivery was available for 10 or more plates pre-ordered, courtesy of Union County Sherriff’s officers. Dylan Hales,  Vice-President of UC Crime Stoppers, shared, “I do want to say that we’re always appreciative of the support that our community shows to us and law enforcement.”
UC Crime Stoppers also used the BBQ to present A. J. Wallace with the Union County Sheriff Officer of the Year. Wallace has been with the Sherriff’s office for over 15 years with the last few spent as a School Resource Officer at Wingate Elementary and Marshall Elementary. Union County honors Wallace on its website for saving a child’s life: “On the first day of the 2020-2021 school year, he was walking through the [Wingate] cafeteria when he noticed a student who appeared to be choking. Deputy Wallace rushed to assist. He used his CPR training to perform the Heimlich maneuver and successfully dislodged a piece of pear from the student’s throat.”
Ray Cook and his sons from Cook Farms prepared the Pork and Turkey BBQ and Sherriff Officers and Staff put the plates together. Baked beans, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, and some white bread completed the plate. While this year’s BBQ was a little different from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was still a great success with money raised going towards rewards paid out by the Union County Crime Stoppers.
Contact Union County Crime Stoppers at https://www.uccrimestoppers.com/ or (704) 283-5600.
