Friends of Meadowlark have a fun and tasty opportunity to support the Meadowlark Foundation’s Good Samaritan Fund when the doors to Cox Bros. BBQ open at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25. Brothers Bud and Bobby Cox, sons of Meadowlark Hills resident Ellie Cox, pledge to donate 10% of that day’s proceeds to the Fund during our 5th annual HOGTOBERFEST. Food specials on Oct. 25 at Cox Bros. BBQ, 223 McCall Road, include a pulled pork and chicken slider buffet, available for $9.99 from 11 to 2 p.m., and a hog roast buffet beginning at 5 p.m. for $12.99. In addition to the meat(s), both buffets will include Cox Bros.’ tempting side dishes, such as pineapple coleslaw, smokehouse beans and redskin potato salad. DJs from Manhattan Broadcasting radio stations B104.7 and Sunny 102.5 will broadcast live from the restaurant during the lunch and dinner hours. Back by popular demand will be two nods to traditional Oktoberfest favorites. Live polka music will be provided by accordion player Rusty Schwerdt, Bud Cox’s brother-in-law, and a beer tasting and buying station will be operated by Flint Hills Beverage beginning at 5 p.m. Flint Hills Beverage now is a distributor for KC Bier Co., a craft beer brewery in Kansas City offering German-style lagers and ales, and some of those will be on the beer menu for the first time. HOGTOBERFEST would certainly be fun with just barbecue, brews and music, but there’s more!

   In order to create additional opportunities to raise money and awareness for the Good Samaritan Fund, a HOG & Kisses Contest has begun, and 50/50 raffle tickets will be on sale soon. The 50/50 raffle winner takes home half of the money collected by ticket sales, and half of the proceeds support the Good Samaritan Fund. Our goal this year is to sell $6000 worth of tickets, meaning the winner would receive a HOGsize cash prize of $3000! Raffle tickets are $5 each, and may be purchased at the Hospitality Desk, at the Verna Belle’s Cafe or from Meadowlark’s board members: Residents on the boards include Jean Beatty, Bob Crawford, Sandra Emley, Harriette Janke, Nyle Larson and Duane Miksch. Five hog kissing candidates will solicit votes in the form of dollars, with the candidate collecting the most money kissing a (young) hog shortly after 6 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Cox Bros. Our little hog was born recently at Parks Farm east of Manhattan, so her snout will be just the right size for smooching in late October.

   The Foundation reached out to local and area financial and/or investment firms, and fun-loving, enthusiastic advisors answered our call for kissing candidates. Participating (in alphabetical order) are Melissa Gamino, KS State Bank; Dillon Mack, Thrivent Financial; Dave Nelson, Edward Jones (Wamego); Matt Paquette, Edward Jones (Manhattan), and Lucy Williams, The Trust Company of Manhattan. Last year, the Cindy Sloan of Rockhill Real Estate and a member of the Foundation board, was our top votegetter and hog kisser. Vote for the candidate of your choice by placing cash or check in his/her hog jar, located in the lobby, or online at www.meadowlark.org. Click the HOG & Kisses Contest link at the top right of the home page. Residents and employees who purchased HOGTOBERFEST T-shirts are invited to wear them on a special Jeans Day for employees on Tuesday, Oct. 9, Wednesday, Oct. 17, and on the day of the event. Employees who pay at least a $1 on the 9th, 17th, and 25th may wear jeans, and those dollars will support the kissing candidates. There will be free transportation to Cox Bros. on Oct. 25 for those who would like a ride. Watch future Messengers and the Blue Book for a departure time and registration sheet. HOGTOBERFEST wouldn’t be possible without the help of local businesses. In addition to Cox Bros. BBQ, Meadowlark Foundation would like to acknowledge returning sponsors McCullough Development, Flint Hills Beverage, Manhattan Broadcasting, GoPowercat.com/247 Sports and NZone Sportswear. New sponsors this year are Blueville Nursery, Inc., Briggs Auto, Meritrust Credit Union, and Burnett Automotive. Please circle Oct. 25 on your calendars and support HOGTOBERFEST in one of the ways described. It’s sure to be a day of FOOD, FRIENDS and FUNdraising!