BBQ the Bucs set to kick off festivities ahead of rivalry game against Hoover

One of the most exciting weeks of the fall season in Vestavia Hills is the week leading up to the matchup between the Vestavia and Hoover football teams.

While the historic rivalry gives the winner bragging rights for the next year, students at Vestavia Hills High School have for many years made sure the winner isn’t the only one who benefits from the event.

BBQ the Bucs has been a yearly fundraiser in the schools for several years now, teacher Martha Manley said, and it benefits a charity chosen each year by the students. 

This year’s charity is the Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation’s Miracle Field, used for Miracle League games, Manley said.

At 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, the night before the game, students from various clubs and groups will gather in the old junior parking lot at the high school and sell food and drinks, as well as participate in a grilling competition, all to raise money for charity.

“It is an opportunity for the student body to come together and get excited about beating the Bucs,” Manley said. “It is also an awesome opportunity to promote and raise money for our fall charity.”

The event, sponsored by the school’s student government association (SGA), typically draws about 300 to 400 students, Manley said.