Last month, the team at Road Hog’s Barbeque did something extraordinary for White Sulphur Springs when they created “Petunia’s Tab.” And what was the goal of this extraordinary creation? Well, that’s simple. Petunia’s Tab was established to make sure that no one in the community ever goes hungry.
David Bostic, co-owner of the Main Street restaurant, called Petunia’s Tab a “message of hope.”
It is remarkable how sometimes it’s the simplest acts of kindness that can so loudly shout that message from high atop the mountains of West Virginia. And that’s exactly how Bostic sees it; a simple act.
“This is what we’re supposed to do,” Bostic said. “We all have to take care of one another. If everybody just tries, we could probably end world hunger.”
Although the reaction to Petunia’s Tab and the support that the community has thrown behind it is nothing short of inspiring, it should come as no surprise. This is White Sulphur Springs, after all; the little town that has survived destruction on a biblical scale because of the love and concern which residents have for their neighbors. And not only has White Sulphur Springs survived, they’ve come back stronger than ever.
“Petunia’s Tab is going well,” said Sarah Elkins, who handles marketing for several of the businesses on Main St. “We’ve had some very generous donations made to the fund and people are making use of it. It could be good to let people know it’s available and for folks to share with their friends and neighbors who could use a hot meal.”
“If everybody just does a little,” Bostic said. “Not much, just a little. And everybody carries some of the load, we can do some really amazing things. The combined effort of a community makes anything possible.”
While Petunia’s Tab continues on into 2021, Road Hog’s Barbeque has put together yet another plan to keep the community fed through the new year.
A post on Road Hog Barbeque’s Facebook page reads, “Y’all ready to play a little game? For the remainder of January we invite you to participate in out Great Pork Pool. Come in and make your best guess at how many pounds of pork we smoked in our first year. We know the exact number smoked from December 6, 2019, through December 6, 2020. Think you have an idea? Your first guess is free. To up your chances of winning you can pay $1 for each additional guess. All proceeds from the Great Pork Pool will be donated to the White Sulphur Springs Community Food Pantry at Emmanuel United Methodist Church.
What does the winner get? A year’s worth of smoked pork from us! That’s 52 pounds of pork. Come play along.”
“It’s another way to get people involved,” Bostic said. “We want to make sure that everyone always has good food to eat. That’s the least we can do.”
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