On August 25, 2016, eight Blue Ridge Job Corps Center students, along with Community Liaison Mike Steele, assisted with the 45th Annual Smyth County Chamber of Commerce “Town & Country BBQ.” Chamber of Commerce Sarah Beth stated “the event celebrates the contributions of agriculture to our community and the local economy.” The evening included a deli-cious steak dinner with all the fixings, live music and an awards ceremony featuring Farm Family of the Year, Business Person of the Year, Children First, 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Students of the Year.
Students from Blue Ridge arrived about an hour and a half early and began pre-paring salads, setting tables and helping the cooks. The students handed out sal-ads to over two hundred local business leaders and congressional staffers who were in attendance. Once the event began, the students were able to fix a plate for themselves consisting of salads, steak and baked potatoes. Students had the pleasure to meet and talk with state and local government representatives about Blue Ridge Job Corps and share how important the program is to their lives. The information was well received.