Optimist Club BBQ Slated for May 25

The East Ridge Optimist Club is holding a fundraising barbecue on Saturday, May 25 at Camp Jordan Park.

Officials with the charitable organization said the event will be held at the pavilion across from the arena and run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pork and chicken plats with slaw, beans and a drink will set you back $8. Pork and chicken sandwiches with chips and a drink costs five bucks.

Large orders must be ordered in advance and can be delivered with notice, officials said.

“We have plenty of seating at the pavilion for dining on-site, and this year we will be offering a raffle with several nice prizes,” said Optimist Club President John Tilley. “Come out and enjoy some of Harry’s (Mackey) famous barbecue.”

Tickets are available now and people wishing to purchase them can contact any member of the East Ridge Optimist Club.

“Thank you for your continued support,” Tilley stated. “If you want to get involved in a great organization please contact me or any member and ask how you can make a difference in a child’s life.”

You can contact Tilley at 423-637-6422,

All proceeds go to fund numerous youth and community projects.

About Dick Cook

Dick Cook has lived in East Ridge since the Kennedy Administration when his parents bought a house on Marietta Street. Dick graduated from ERHS in 1976 before going on to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he studied Political Science. Dick worked for the Chattanooga Free-Press and the Chattanooga Times Free Press for 22 years. Free-Press Sports Editor Roy Exum plucked him out of production in 1989 and gave him a job as a sports reporter. Dick covered everything from prep sports to the whitewater events on the Ocoee River for the 1996 Olympics. When Chattanooga's two paper's merged, he became the Crime Reporter covering both the Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments. He was among reporters who were honored by the Associated Press for the TFP's coverage of the 2002 fog-shrouded crash on I-75 in Catoosa County, Dick and his wife, Cathy, live on Marlboro Avenue where they are seen frequently chasing around their three grandsons.