As you well know last September hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed a great amount of property and lives here in Louisiana. I never dreamed I would be involved in helping put lives back together as I did as a result of those storms. Many churches and people in our area began to feed and supply thousands of displaced families that evacuated to our area. Due to the large number of needs I began searching for ways to feed and cook food for these desperate people here in the surrounding parishes.

I did not know you or your company prior to this date. I had looked at the Southern Yankee BBQ web site as well as others since I was retired and contemplated the possibility of perhaps someday owing a cooker of my own. I can only say it must have been divine intervention that led me to call you that day and request your help in Louisiana's struggle to feed the needy here in our state as well as Mississippi and later Texas, after Rita hit the Texas and Louisiana area. What a wonderful and miraculous call that turned out to be. Not only did you and your employees show great compassion, but without reservation offered me immediate help by letting me use a six foot rotisserie cooker for our needs for as long as needed. This was much more than I had hoped for and with the help of Open Door Missions in Choudrant, La. we drove to Indiana to pick up the cooker.

I have never cooked on a rotisserie cooker before that date in my life. Upon my arrival at Southern Yankee, I was surprised at how big the cooker was and to be honest, I really didn't know if I could cook on the six foot unit you supplied. Little did I know it was going to be a "piece of cake". After taking instructions from your staff we took off back to Louisiana traveling around 1,000 miles to get back and start cooking.

The first time I cooked I followed directions just like I was told I think, and fired her up cooking part of over 2,200 lbs. of chickens donated for the evacuees and churches in the area. I have never heard so many compliments on BBQ chicken, turkey's and roast that was cooked on that cooker in my life. The fact is, it was nothing I did because I really did not know what I was doing but that cooker made it so easy. Many people complimented the ability of your cooker to cook so much at one time and still be the best cooked meat they have ever eaten.

I can't express in words just how much your generosity and care from Southern Yankee BBQ meant to me and thousands of those in need. Not many people or companies would have placed that kind of equipment in the hands of someone they had never met before. I believe that not only is your product the best there is to offer in quality and workmanship but apparently you and your employees have quality and pride rarely seen in today's business world.

I know this will not be the last time a disaster like Katrina and Rita hits our country. An old 20' travel trailer has been donated for us to make into a kitchen for future use in these disasters since we can't at this time afford to purchase a new commercial kitchen. We hope at some point to raise enough money to buy something bigger to cook for the larger population. When that time comes you can be assured Southern Yankee BBQ will be the first people I contact.

Thanks again for your generosity and love for those in need.

Don Kemp
Winnsboro, LA 71295