Alright, guys. Here's what I've got so far ... 50 baked potatoes.
My plan for Friday evening was to provide a cook-your-own steak and a prepared baked potato so that we can visit and hang out by the grills/campfires. I didn't mind bring the littles, like butter and sour cream and cheese. I imagined smaller groups breaking out around different grills and pits so that we're cooking mostly at the same time.
In January, I had a sponsor willing to donate cash to cover approximately 35 lbs of ribeye steaks (enough to feed 45 - assuming some are kids, some are female, and some are meat-eating men) - they've gone MIA. No return phone calls, same with e-mail. As a first-timer, now I understand the hesitation to include sponsors and depend on them. For a back up, the guys doing our burgers on Saturday said they'd sell me steaks at cost ... but before that, they are going to contact the Iowa Beef Council to see if we can get a donation to cover all or part.
Here's my dilemma. I've pledged to make this event as free as possible to those attending. I don't wish to ask anyone to pony up cash so we can have a steak dinner on Friday. Would there be hurt feelings if the Beef Council cannot contribute and I provide boneless chicken breasts? It's no secret that the chicken breasts would be less expensive, but it would be my treat - a thanks for those of you willing to come out and participate in this first event. The potatoes are donated from a local restaurant - and they've confirmed - so we can have potatoes with our chicken ... add some bbq sauce, maybe some beans or another side ...
Let me know if there are objections. I want everyone to have a good time, AND I want everyone to come back next year with a friend ! Maybe I'll hit you guys up to contribute stuff like disposable plates and cutlery, napkins & your own beverages ...