Woody's Bar-B-Q Raises $6K for Tim Tebow Foundation

In 1980, armed with some dog-eared recipes, a love of great food and a desire to make patrons feel “right at home” in their new restaurant, Woody Mills and Yolanda Mills-Mawman opened the doors of Jacksonville-based Woody’s Bar-B-Q. All throughout the 40 years since, the co-founders and their franchisees have shown their support for the communities that surround their restaurants. Whether sponsoring the local high school football team or raising funds for an area nonprofit, the hospitality of Woody’s Bar-B-Q extends beyond the kitschy country interior of its restaurants.

From local charities like Healing Hands – First Coast Child Protection Team and K9s for Warriors to national nonprofits like No Kid Hungry and Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF), the Woody’s Bar-B-Q brand is honored to raise both funds and awareness to support worthy causes. During its most recent 40th Anniversary Celebration at Woody’s Bar-B-Q of Ponte Vedra Beach on October 3, nearly 100 people were in attendance to commemorate Woody’s flavorful 40-year history by taking part in a silent auction and art show presented by Florida artist, Diana Patterson – the proceeds of which benefitted Tim Tebow Foundation’s Anti-Human Trafficking Ministry. By the time the event came to a close, $6,000 had been raised.

“Woody and I would like to thank everyone for coming out to the event in support of Woody’s Bar-B-Q,” says Yolanda Mills-Mawman, President and COO of Woody’s Bar-B-Q. “We’d also like to thank Steve Biondo, President of the Tim Tebow Foundation for his remarks during the event to enlighten us all to the incredible work his organization is doing out in the world. Lastly, we’d be remiss if we didn’t express our gratitude to artist Diana Patterson and all the companies who donated items for our silent auction. Your generosity led to the raising of more than $6,000 for TTF’s Anti-Human Trafficking Ministry. It warms our hearts to see this North Florida community come together year after year – as they have since our first anniversary celebration in 1981.”

The Tim Tebow Foundations’ Anti-Human Trafficking Ministry has been quietly working behind the scenes since 2013 to protect the safety of its missionaries and rescued survivors. However, with the staggering growth of human trafficking in recent years, TTF has taken its battle public. It is estimated that as many as 40 million people in the world today are being bought and sold as modern-day slaves. Women, children, and even men are being captured, exploited, and abused on a daily basis in every country around the world. The Foundation is taking elevated action to confront this global atrocity – to rescue victims and provide a way out of a life of violence and exploitation to a new life of freedom found in Christ. To do this, the nonprofit takes steps to prevent the crisis by:

• Championing programs to preserve and strengthen the family unit
• Forming strategic partnerships supporting those executing physical rescue missions on the ground and providing for the immediate needs of survivors
• Supporting survivors’ long-term recovery through communities of care that provide them with the tools needed for physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual healing

“We are so grateful for Woody’s Bar-B-Q, Diana Patterson, and the community that rallied with them to support the fight against human trafficking through this event,” says Steve Biondo, President of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “It will take every one of us stepping up to confront this issue that is not just taking place around the world, but also in our own backyards. By educating and equipping our community to take action, we can change the trajectory of this darkest of evils.”

For those who could not attend the Woody’s Bar-B-Q 40th Anniversary Celebration but still wish to show their support for the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Anti-Human Trafficking Ministry, they may do so securely online at www.timtebowfoundation.org. For more information about Woody’s Bar-B-Q, prospective patrons are encouraged to visit www.woodys.com.