Hog Roast: Waterford FFA hosts annual event
Trending
WATERFORD -- Twenty-five Waterford FFA students expressed their gratitude for their community's support through food at the 41st annual Hog Roast Thursday.
The meal was served in Waterford High School's Agriculture Building and consisted of pulled pork with dry rub only, or pork with dry rub and barbeque sauce, mashed potatoes, baked beans, rolls and various desserts. Attendees could either ask for a meal to go or eat in the building.
"I like to put the take-out meals together," chapter Vice President Allison Huck said. "I put together the food and people can take them to their elderly family members."
Huck said the chapter received $3,500 in donations Thursday but they decided to give it to Jillian's Legacy, a charity established in honor of school resource officer Mikey Harlow's daughter. Jillian passed away of a congenital heart defect in 2021.
Chapter president Lanee Heiss said planning for the Hog Roast usually begins a couple months before the event. She said she was impressed with how everything came together.
Chapter advisor Matt Hartline said they served 624 meals.
Attendee Allen Angle said he remembered the Hog Roast started in 1983, when he was a freshman at Waterford and a member of the FFA chapter.
"I haven't missed one since. I took a partial day off my job to attend," he said.
Hartline said students and volunteers did the cooking Monday, including 50 pork shoulders.
"We used to do a whole hog, but this is much easier to manipulate the flavor."
Hartline said he and his students are receiving tremendous support from the Waterford community and they use the Hog Roast to "pay it forward."
"We've gotten a lot of community support and this is our way to thank them," Huck said. "We give them free food and give back."
Kristen Hainkel can be contacted at khainkel@newsandsentinel.com