Serving for those who served.

It's always a pleasure to come back year after year to honor our heroes along
side with the fine folks of the Texas Military Forces Living History Detachment
and the Texas Military Forces Museum. Every Memorial Day weekend,
we participate at the re-enactment, which helps raise funds for the museum
and educates the public about our heroes, weaponry and the sacrifices made.
This time around the show was based around the Vietnam War,
and attracted a full stand of bleachers for every show.

   
Showing Support at BBQ Austin 2019

Our competitive cooking team, IOU BBQ®, took the year off from the competitive cooking circuit, which included BBQ Austin 2019. But that did not stop the cooks, volunteers, and fans of IOU from attending the event and filling up the tip jars with generous checks from The IOU Foundation®!

   
Fighting hunger and being ThankFUL!

Just before Thanksgiving, the cooks of IOU BBQ® once again proudly
joined forces with The Sine Die Smokers, as they cooked meals and raised funds
in downtown Austin, with the common goal of fighting hunger. Following the leads
of Holly, Gavin and Mace, the event brought in more than $67,000, which was awarded
directly to the Central Texas Food Bank, and will help with the
serving of more than 268,000 meals!

   
Honoring Our Heroes

The Texas Military Forces Museum explores the history of the Lone Star State's militia and
volunteer forces, as well as tells the story of the Texas Army,
Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard. Every Veteran's Day,
we proudly participate at the Close Assault Re-enactment, which helps raise
funds for the museum and educates the public about our heroes, weaponry
and the sacrifices made during World War II. Despite the cold weather and rain
the show went on as planned, wowing viewers at all four shows.

Laugh For A Cause!

New York based actor and comedian comes to Austin to hit the stage at Cap City Comedy!
Past performances include Comix, Gotham, Comedy Cellar, and Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.
Sean can be seen as a regular on VH1 "Talking Head" shows and has been featured on
Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham". He recently made his network television debut on
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon". Purchase your ticket through an IOU Volunteer to recieve a discounted
price, and for The IOU Foundation® to receive a fundraising contribution.

Highland Lake Floods - Marble Falls

In October of 2018, Texas was hit with record amounts of rainfall, resulting
in histroical flooding, the likes of which had never been experienced before
in many of our communities. We heard the call from a familiar friend, and
without hesitation the cooks of IOU BBQ®loaded up the grill and hit the road
to Marble Falls, where we joined forces with The Texas Firewalkers. For three
days, under the leadership of The Texas Firewalkers, the combined efforts of
bbq cooks, volunteers, and local citizens, resulted in the serving of
2,950 warm meals to the first responders and neighbors who were directly
impacted by flooding, and working through the difficult recovery efforts.

Barrington Halloween 2018... Are you ready for it?

The building continues for the 13th year of Barrington Halloween. As is always the case,
we can only give you a small peek at the work being done. We invite all ages to join us
Halloween Night, October 31, to see the final product, and to join in on the fun.
11306 Barrington Way, Austin, TX 78759
The event is FREE, however tips are accepted. All funds collected will
be donated to The Dell Children's Hospital & The IOU Foundation®.

 
Wheelers For The Wounded, Texas - Fall Event

The first ever Fall Event took place at Wolf Caves, just outside of Mason, Texas. Open runs, with
no set trail routes or trail guides, were structured specifically for wounded warriors and their
families to embark on the ride of a lifetime. This Wheelers For The Wounded organized event was a
great success and plans are already underway for doing it again next October!

  
Longhorn Tailgate Season

Cold Coors Light, hot IOU BBQ®, and the Texas Longhorns!
Can it get any better than this?!! A big thank you to our awesome sponsor,
Captial Wright Distributing, for your continuous support and for allowing us to be
a part of your Texas Longhorn Tailgate Parties.

2018 Rodeo Austin Scholars

In August, 2018, Rodeo Austin hosted its annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony, where they
awarded 28 deserving students with $388,000 worth of educational scholarships!
The scholarship amounts ranged from $4,000 to $16,000 and were awarded to
these outstanding students by universities and foundations based upon
financial need, academic performance and community involvement.

  
 
Benefit For Deanna

On a hot summer day in downtown Round Rock, Main Street was rockin! It was our honor to be
a part of the benefit for Deanna Wheeler, a singer/songwriter, single mother of 3, and
military veteran who was suddenly stricken with Guillain Barre' Syndrome; a disease that attacks the c
entral nervous system. With the combined efforts of multiple organizations, we took over
The Round Rock Tavern, Rocky's Piano Bar and Long Branch Saloon to raise funds
for Deanna. IOU BBQ® plates were flying out of the kitchen all day long, while musicians
entertained the crowds, and volunteers co-ordinated multiple on-site fundraising efforts.
Huge teamwork and a major success for an amazing individual.

   
Texas Military Forces Museum

Tucked under the oaks of Camp Mabry, The Texas Military Forces Museum explores the history
of the Lone Star State's militia and volunteer forces, as well as tells the story of the Texas Army,
Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard. Over Memorial Day weekend, we participated
at the Close Assault Re-enactment, which helps raise funds for the museum and educates
the public about our heroes, weaponry and the sacrifices made during World War II.

   
   
TMPH Spring Carnival - Triumphant Warrior

As Spring 2018 got started, we were honored to join forces with Accenture at their
TMHP Spring Carnival. Not only was the day targeted at having fun, but it was
also an event for collecting socks and funds that were directly donated to
Triumphant Warrior; a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing joy to cancer
patients across the United States through the gift of fun socks.

  
BBQ Austin 2018

It was our fifth year to participate at BBQ Austin, and ohhhhh did we have
a great time! Two great days of slow smoked bbq, live bands, dancing with
custom dj music, bloody mary's, cold beer and so much more. All of this was
on the agenda, while we raised funds for the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund.
Such a great time, and for such a great cause! We are already looking forward to next year!
1st Place Hospitality
3rd and 20th Place Beans
4th, 8th, 9th Place Bloody Mary
4th Place In Fundraising with a total of $15,155

 Come Join The FUN and The FUNdraising at BBQ Austin 2018

We are proud to announce our music lineup for our fundraising event at
BBQ Austin 2018. And we are VERY THANKFUL for all of these talented musicians
willingness to jump on board with Team IOU to help raise funds for the Rodeo Austin
Scholarship Fund, and to have a great time while doing it!
You should join us too! It is going to be a blast, and we can't wait!

  
  
Preparations for BBQ Austin 2018 are underway

Although the event is only 1 weekend long. The preparations and building
projects take months. Our team of incredible volunteers is already in full
swing of putting everything together for hosting a weekend full of fun and
FUNDRAISING for the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund.

  
BBQ Auction & Concert 2017

This year the event featured country music legend Neal McCoy.
What an awesome entertainer, and what an awesome fundraiser!
As with years past, the theater was filled up with amazinging supporters
and donors. Our team helped raise $2800 toward a grand total of more
than $145,000 for the 2018 scholarship fund!

  
Helping raise funds for The Texas Military Forces Museum

Our Veteran's Day was spent honoring our heroes and helping out The Texas
Military Forces Museum, as the Texas Military Forces Living History Detachment
presented Close Assault 1944;  a re-enactement that honors the service
and sacrifice of America's veterans.

  
Still fighting hunger

With all of the recent hurricane relief efforts, this year's #nohunger fundraiser
took on even greater importance. The cooks of IOU BBQ® once again proudly joined
forces and followed the lead of The Sine Die Smokers, as they cooked meals and
raised funds in downtown Austin. The event brought in more than $54,000,
which was awarded directly to the Central Texas Food Bank, and will help
them serve more than 216,000 meals!

  
Barrington Halloween is under construction

This year's theme is Ancient Titans of Mt. Olympus, and the building process is
well underway. On Halloween night, you can see the final product as well as
help support Dell Children's Hospital & The IOU Foundation®.
Come on out and join us at:
11306 Barrington Way - Austin, TX.

Congratulations to the 2017 Rodeo Austin Scholars!

On August 10, 2017, Rodeo Austin once again hosted its annual
Scholarship Awards Ceremony at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
This year $400,000 was awarded to 27 deserving students from across Texas.
Scholarship amounts ranged from $4,000 to $16,000 and were awarded to
these outstanding students by universities and foundations based upon
financial need, academic performance and community involvement.
Every August, these award ceremonies pump us up, for our return to
BBQ Austin to raise more funds for the next group of scholars.

Helping raise funds for The Texas Humane Heroes

It's always a rewarding feeling when we meet up at
Mel's Lonestar Lanes in Georgetown, to help raise some funds for
our friends at the Texas Humane Heroes. Way to go IOU Bowl-B-Que!

  
Mucking out in Simonton, TX

The vounteers of The IOU Foundation® were at it again. This time they were helping out in the small town of Simonton, Texas. Hats off to Tom, David, and Trent for their generous and continual hard work, mucking out home after home in the area, and for leading our crew through the process.

  
Paying it forward in Richmond/Rosenberg, TX

While helping out in the Richmond/Rosenberg area, our volunteers found a
neighborhood where several homes were damaged beyond repair. Many of
its citizens were gathering up what they could of their personal belongings,
and in the process of relocating. With a limited ability to be of assistance in
this sort of situation, the decision was made to go into town and purchase a
bunch of Wal-mart gift cards. Then our volunteers returned to the community,
and distributed those gift cards to members of the neighborhood.

  
Serving up some hot meals in Wharton, TX

After Harvey, numerous Texans have been left without power, or able to get back into their
homes. Many that are able to return home, are greeted with a soaking, mud covered mess. Upon learning of an area that is still dealing with what Harvey left behind, and unable to cook at their
homes or to enjoy a hot meal, IOU BBQ® and The IOU Foundation® turned their sights on
Wharton, TX where they cooked and served free barbecue plates to its citizens. When our
cooks reached the end of their inventory, and were unable to replenish their barbecue supplies,
they weren't ready to throw in the towel. After some discussion and brainstorming, they
got word that there was a pizza place open for business. Before you know it, IOU BBQ® and
The IOU Foundation® were handing out free pizzas to the community.

   
Helping cook in Houston, TX

With numerous families away from their homes, flood waters everywhere,
and electricity sparse, Team IOU heard the call, and headed over to Houston
to join up with Operation BBQ Relief and The Texas Firewalkers. Cooking side
by side with mobile cookers from throughout the state of Texas as well as from
across the country, they worked non-stop serving barbecue meals to the first
responders, volunteers, and citizens of Houston. The base camp remained
in downtown Houston for 11 days and served 371,760 meals!

Harvey Relief

The IOU Foundation® is looking for your help. We are combining efforts with our friends,
the Coco Moo Cookers, to raise money and gather supplies for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
There will be several trips made to parts of the Texas coast to provide assistance and relief to
those in need. We are actively seeking supplies, volunteers, and cash donations to help with
these efforts. The first trip of awesome volunteers is scheduled to leave for Rockport
Wednesday, August 30. Additional trips are to continue for at least the next three weeks.
If you would like to volunteer, or provide supplies, please contact info@theioufoundation.org.

  
  
Memorial Day - 2017

Our Memorial Day was spent remembering its true meaning, with a look back
at World War II, as the Texas Military Forces Living History Detachment
presented Close Assault 1944;  a re-enactement that honors the
service and sacrifice of America's veterans.

  
BBQ Austin 2017, A Major Success!

Congratulations to our competitive cooking team, IOU BBQ®, for a remarkable
weekend at BBQ Austin 2017. Alongside 142 cooking teams, Team IOU was
not only successful with the competition events, but also entertained a
full tent throughout the weekend while raising more than
Fourteen Thousand Dollars for the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund.

2nd, 4th, 6th Place Beans

7th Place Jackpot

9th Place Bloody Mary

12th & 24th Place Chicken

1st, 6th, 21st, & 23rd Place Ribs

23rd Place Brisket

3rd Place Fundraising

$14,256 raised for scholarships!

  
Another great success at Rodeo Austin's

BBQ Auction & Concert - This year's event featured Tracy Lawrence in concert along with
some delicious barbecue, and was the jump start to raising money for next years scholarship
fund. As expected, supporters showed up to fill the theater with great generosity. Following
the inspiring testimonial of a nursing student and recipient of a Rodeo Austin Scholarship
our team helped raise over $2800 toward a grand total of more than
$140,000 for the 2017 scholarship fund!

  
#nohunger

The cooks of IOU BBQ® once again joined up with our friends over at the Capitol,
the Sine Die Smokers! This years fundraising cause was in full support of a movement
started by Mace Massingill-Hunger Fighter called #nohunger. Following Mace's lead, the
team raised $43,000 for the Central Texas Food Bank and #nohunger. With that donation
alone, the Central Texas Food Bank will be able to serve 172,000 meals!

       
Barrington Halloween building continues

On Halloween night, you can see the final product as well as help support
Dell Children's Hospital & The IOU Foundation®. The fun takes place at:
11306 Barrington Way - Austin, TX.
This year's theme is... Wild West Ghost Town!

Aaannnnd we have a winner!

Thank you to Capitol Wright Distributing for their support and congratulations to Melissa on her win of the awesome Grizzly Cooler at our fundraising event this evening! What a great time it was. The comedians were hilarious, the crowd was spectacular and the support was outstanding. We are very thankful to Cap City Comedy for hosting the event and to everyone that bought tickets, sold tickets and joined us at the show for some major laughs. We can't wait to do it again!

Time for some laughs

Described as a high energy comic, Chris Distefano acts out a variety of
characters derived from his life, typically leaving you on the edge of your
seat from laughter. He was selected from hundreds of comedians across
the country to be one of Comedy Centrals “Comics to Watch” as part of
the New York Comedy Festival. You can catch Chris all over MTV! He is a
current cast member on MTV2s hit show “GuyCode”. You can also see him
featured on MTVs “GirlCode”, “Failosiphy” and “Money From Strangers”.
On Friday, September 30, Chris takes the stage at Cap City Comedy in Austin.
Buy your tickets in advance from any IOU Team Member and a portion or
your ticket price will go directly to The IOU Foundation!

Congratulations to the class of 2016 Rodeo Austin Scholars!

Why do we put so much effort into helping raise funds for Rodeo Austin?
THIS is why:
On August 4, Rodeo Austin hosted the annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony
at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, where a record $512,000
was awarded to 34 Texas students. Scholars are selected by universities
or foundations based upon financial need, academic performance and
community involvement. Scholarships range in amount from $4,000 to $16,000
and help students from all walks of life reach their dreams.

Drink For A Cause

We are excited to announce an awesome fundraising event for
The IOU Foundation®...Drink 4 a Cause at Kung Fu Saloon in the new
Rock Rose District at The Domain! Show up, enjoy a drink or two, play
some old school games and Kung Fu Saloon will donate 15% of beverage
sales for August 23rd to The IOU Foundation®! We would love your help
spreading the word, but even more so, we'd love to see you there!

IOU Bowl-B-Que Strikes Again

A great time was had by all, as some of our hard working team members returned to
Mel's Lonestar Lanes in Georgetown, to help the Texas Humane Heroes
raise some funds. And if that weren't enough, they took 2nd place.
Way to go IOU Bowl-B-Que!

       
Preparations for BBQ Austin 2017 Continue

You can support The IOU Foundation® and our competitive cooking team,
IOU BBQ®, as we raise money for the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund. The fun takes
place Friday-March 3, 11am - 6:30pm and Saturday-March 4, 11am - Midnight,
at the Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Ln, Austin TX 78724.

Memorial Day - 2016

Another Memorial Day Weekend with time well spent cooking out at
Camp Mabry honoring America's Heroes.

     
Military Order of the Purple Heart

Simply put... it is truely an honor and a privilege to cook for the heroes of the Texas
Capital Chapter 1919, Military Order of the Purple Heart "Combat Wounded Veterans".

     
BBQ Austin 2016 - Look Ma, No Rain!!!

For the first time, our competitive cooking team, IOU BBQ®, had no rain during the
BBQ Austin event; and with that came the crowds and the competition. With their tent always
full, lines out the door, and 88 teams to compete with, the team relied heavily on their
second and third winds, along with extra help from their volunteers. It was A LOT of
work and very loonngg hours, but the rewards were plentiful.

1st Place Bloody Mary

2nd Place Bloody Mary

7th Place Ribs

7th Place Chicken

Final Table Brisket

The team also met and exceeded one of its most desired goals for
BBQ Austin 2016, in raising $12,385 toward the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund.

   
Veterans Day - 2015

Every Veterans Day, the museum at Camp Mabry presents a reenactment of Close
Assault 1944. This event is put on to honor our heroes and to raise funds for the
operations and upkeep of the Texas Military Forces Museum. For the past several
years we have had the privilege of cooking for Company G of the 36 IMP Division
at the reenactment and honoring the heroes that continue to protect our freedom.

   
Barrington Halloween

The work and construction leading up to the Barrington Halloween Fundraiser
starts at least in August, often sooner, but the final touches are always put in
place by October 31. When the sun goes down on Halloween, the line of
visitors instantly starts growing, and zig-zags down the street all night long.
For all of their efforts, Steve and Sabrina Butler and their volunteers, ask for
nothing in return, but instead place a tip jar on site. This year's donations
were awared to Dell Children's Hospital and The IOU Foundation®.

   
Cooking For A Cause With The Sine Die Smokers

Once a year we have the fine privilage of teaming up with our friends over at
The Texas State Capitol, The Sine Die Smokers. When this group gets together,
there's just no limit to the fun or the fundraising! This year, with the
leadership of Holly and Gavin Massingill, the Sine Die Smokers BBQ Party
and Fundraiser brought in $55,200 and was awarded to
The KK125 Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation!

   
VONLUNTEERS - DONATIONS - ACTION!

October - 2015, a wildfire breaks out in the Hidden Pines area, between Bastrop
and Smithville, Texas. We reach out to our competitive cooking team, IOU BBQ®, for
some assistance to help feed the brave firefighters who are battling the blaze. Without
hesitation, the cooks drop everything to join our efforts, and team up with the
Texas Firewalkers and The Salvation Army. THANK YOU to everyone for your
overwhleming support and generosity, and a special thank you to PeeWee, of the
Texas Firewalkers, for your fine leadership of this call to action.

       
The IOU Foundation - Summer Meeting & Picnic

Just a small break for the volunteers of The IOU Foundation®, in the way of a
backyard picnic and foundation meeting. Once we got the business side of things
completed, our team of great volunteers and supporters turned to the matters at hand,
which included some delicious IOU BBQ®, oversized jenga challenges, cornhole battles,
and the infamous IOU award ceremony. Special thanks to Momma Sobon for offering up
her home and backyard for the festivities.

Military Order of the Purple Heart

In May of this year we had the privilage of cooking again for the Texas Capital Chapter 1919,
honoring Military Order of the Purple Heart, "Combat Wounded Veterans". Chapter 1919
works with others to develop a transportation hub in Austin to operate as
“HONOR FLIGHT AUSTIN,”.  The project is part of a nationwide effort to honor Veterans
and provide them with a trip to Washington D.C, and an opportunity to visit their memorial.

The IOU Foundation takes over Star Hill Ranch

With help from our volunteers and the cooks of IOU BBQ, we completed a fundraiser to
benefit The IOU Foundation®. The event, a private party/picnic for The Boon Group,
took place at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas. The menu included brisket,
sausage, turkey, beans and coleslaw. The weather was awesome, the
brisket was mouthwatering, and fun was had by all!

Thank You Volunteers!!!

Who says it has to be all work and no play??? Not us!!!
Our organization and the events in which we participate, are only possible because of the
awesome volunteers that take time from their busy lives to help us. This summer we took
some extra time to get together and enjoy a much needed dip in the pool under the
shady oaks of "The Bradley Grove". Thank you Ken and Cathy!