By John Payne
FOUR OAKS – It was perfect weather for a “all hands on deck” event at the Strickland Crossroads Fire Department on Saturday, as hungry residents from all over the county and as far away as Florida and Georgia, flocked to the normally quiet US 701 and Strickland Crossroads Road intersection.
Members began preparing for the feast months before then came out in force Friday night to start cooking the 27 hogs on their 27 cookers.
Along with the barnyard full of hogs, they prepared and cooked nearly 700 pounds of chicken to add to the hundreds of boiled potatoes, home-made slaw and a desert treat for every meal.
Dozens of volunteers from the community worked with members of the fire department to make the annual event a success. Johnston County Sheriff’s Office deputies helped with traffic control.
This year, to reduce congestion, one-way traffic was routed off of US 701 and up Flower’s Road as it snaked its way to the fire department drive-thru.
One driver reported waiting in the mile and a half long line for an hour and 15 minutes. “It’s worth the wait,” Debbie Williford of Angier, said, adding, “The food is good—excellent!”
This was one of many traditional fund raising efforts to be held by volunteer fire departments around Johnston County this year.
