The fifth-annual Great Grill Off is nearly here! Our Wooster campus is just about ready to welcome everyone this Sunday, June 11, and the weatherman has promised us a beautiful summer day. While kids are no doubt looking forward to the bounce houses, tractor rides and carnival games, we can’t wait to help decide whose burger is best!

There are all sorts of things to keep you busy at the Great Grill Off, and plenty of food to keep you well fed. We have 10 teams that will be competing for your vote each with a unique burger creation that will surely make your mouth water. Even better, your vote will be entered to win an incredible Grill Prize Pack featuring a three-burner gas BigHorn Grill, 10 pounds of Certified Angus Beef, “Bread for a Year” from Panera, and a gift basket from Smoke in Wooster that includes grilling items, a $15 gift certificate, a hat and a t-shirt. You have to vote to win!

So whose burger will win? Good luck voting for just one of these 10 choices:

THE BBQ SLIDER

Grilled by: Lone Star Butcher and Deli Shop

BBQ sauce, kosher salt, garlic, smoked salt, pepper and spices

PIZZA BURGER

Grilled by: Just Horsing Around-Buckeye (Buckeye Nutrition)

Pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and spices

THE FAR “EAST” ASIAN BURGER

Grilled by: Encompass East

Fresh ginger root, minced garlic, salt, topped w/ cole-slaw mix, green onions, chow mein noodles, asian toasted sesame salad dressing and mayo

THE LITTLE RASCALS

Grilled by: The Spoon Fighters (Spoon Market)

Wisconsin white cheddar, peach apricot spicy chutney, basil aioli, caramelized onions, smoked bacon and field greens

JAMMIN JERK BURGER

Grilled by: Champs (CCHO-CRC)

Sweet and Spicy bacon jam, special seasoning, grilled mango, pineapple with Colby Jack cheese

NUTTY MUFFIT

Grilled by: Bishop’s

American cheese, coleslaw and mixed nuts

The WEST-ern

Grilled by: The Best in the West (Encompass West)

Bacon, grilled onion and green peppers, onion straws, BBQ mayo and cheese

THE HOPE BURGER

Grilled by: Wooster Hope Center

Guggisburg Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, gravy and a secret ingredient

STUFFED ITALIAN BURGER

Grilled by: Encompass Central

Meatball Burger (mixed with Italian seasonings, garlic, bread crumbs, parmesan & egg) stuffed with ricotta cheese and provolone and covered in marinara sauce

SMOKED GOUDA MAC-N-CHEESE BURGER

Grilled by: Smoke the Burger Joint

Pepper, salt, garlic powder, dry mustard, flour, unsalted butter, sharp cheddar cheese, smoked gouda, heavy cream, milk and chicken stock

As we wrap up the final week of preparations before the fifth-annual Great Grill Off this Sunday, June 11, we wanted to send a quick thank you to all of our incredible sponsors for making this event possible. Your support of the Great Grill Off and our family of ministries allows us to continue helping the kids and families we serve overcome the trauma and tragedy that has impacted their lives.

We had so much fun at the 2016 Great Grill Off, and from the looks of the following photo gallery, all 1200+ of our attendees did as well! Scroll through the photos for a glimpse into all the great food and activities we had on campus as we begin to look forward to the 2017 Great Grill Off on June 11! And if you’d like to read even more about the 2016 event, click here and here!

With more than 1200 people in attendance, 120 volunteers and thousands of memorable burgers served, the 2016 Great Grill Off exceeded all expectations, and for that we are extremely grateful. Christian Children’s Home of Ohio and Encompass Christian Counseling, Foster Care and Adoption Services simply wouldn’t be able to reach our goals without the generosity of our incredible supporters, and boy, you all outdid yourselves this year!

Check out the infographic below for a look at some of the key numbers from the Great Grill Off (click the image to view a larger version). Thank you so much for helping to make this such a memorable event and for your continued support of our ministry. We can’t wait to see you back on the CCHO campus for next year’s Great Grill Off!

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”3″ gal_title=”Infographic 2016″]

Wow! When we started planning the 2016 Great Grill Off, we tackled a few pretty big changes as we worked toward the vision God gave us for the event, and we weren’t sure how many people would show up on the CCHO campus that day.

It didn’t take long to get our answer, though. Twenty minutes into the event, our first two parking lots were full and our burger teams were hard at work grilling and handing out their delicious concoctions (here, here) to everyone who had already lined up to grab some lunch on what turned out to be a beautiful day here in Wooster! We were overwhelmed by the response from the community, and we are so grateful for the commitment everyone showed to the mission of CCHO and Encompass. In particular, the residential kids here on campus were amazed (as they are every year) that so many people showed up to support them and the work being done in their lives.

We will have some truly incredible numbers for everyone to see soon — attendance, donations, volunteers, food consumed — but in the meantime, we wanted to give special thanks to our event sponsors and partners, without whom the Great Grill Off wouldn’t have been nearly as great.

The generosity displayed by our two premier sponsors, Bill Harris Auto in Ashland and The Tarrier Steel Co. in Columbus, was incredible. Bill Harris provided a 2015 Chevrolet Spark for our live auction while Tarrier Steel’s support made it possible for us to make this the biggest Great Grill Off ever!

Of course, the food was one of the stars of the day, and special thanks goes to Certified Angus Beef for providing all of the meat for the burgers that everyone enjoyed! We have worked with Certified Angus Beef for several years now during this event and we are so appreciative of their support…and their delicious product!

Can’t have burgers without buns, of course, and Buehler’s in Wooster donated all the buns used for the Grill Off. Frito Lay, meanwhile, provided a seemingly endless supply of chips, and we were extra excited to work with Wooster’s own Hartzler Family Dairy for the first time, making dessert a little extra special this year for everyone who had a bowl of Hartzler’s ice cream.

Finally, we are grateful for the support of The Commercial & Savings Bank and Curry Lumber, for the partnership we formed with The Daily Record, whose coverage and promotion before and after the event is very much appreciated, and, of course, Real Estate Showcase, whose auctioneers helped us pull off an amazing live auction!

God gave us a huge vision for the 2016 Great Grill Off, and there’s no way it would have become a reality without the support of all of these wonderful sponsors. Thank you so much!

Baylor Beach

When we say Family Fun… we don’t just mean the great food, inflatables, miniature horses, games and more taking place this Sunday afternoon. You can also bid on a variety of Family Fun packages in our 2:00pm LIVE AUCTION at the Great Grill Off too!

Visit Akron package

Courtesy of Akron Zoo, Akron Civic Theater, Akron Rubberducks, Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, and Akron Racers

This Rubber City collection includes: four (4) tickets to the Akron Zoo; two (2) tickets to the Akron Civic Theater; two (2) tickets to an Akron Rubberducks baseball game; a gift basket from the Akron Racers; and a one-night stay in a Standard Luxury Suite for two at the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls. (Hotel stay expires 7/1/17)

Peace Love and Little Donuts Kids package

Courtesy of Peace Love and Little Donuts (Canal Fulton), COSI, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers and MC Sports

This package includes a donut party for ten (10) kids at Peace Love and Little Donuts in Canal Fulton, two (2) tickets to COSI in Columbus, a Cleveland Browns cinch bag and pennant, a Timofey Mozgov autographed player card & Cavs Pack, and a youthsize Kyrie Irving jersey courtesy of MC Sports.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (4 tix) Picnic package

Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Directions Credit Union

Enjoy a day at the fabulous Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with four (4) passes and your
own package of picnic goodies including a $50 Buehler’s gift card, 13” portable
charcoal grill, 10-piece BBQ tool set, instant read thermometer, a handy collapsible
cooler and more. (Zoo tickets expire 6/25/17)

Hot Air Balloon Rides (1, 2 and 4 person)

Courtesy of Soaring Adventures of America, Inc.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Float for an hour above the treetops and below the clouds. Enjoy the beauty of nature from a unique perspective.

Baylor Beach with Cooler Package

Courtesy of Lori Bratcher

Enjoy a family day at Baylor Beach Park’s two-acre water park, swimming lake, 90
foot “tube of terror slide,” miniature golf course and more. The 38 qt. wheeled cooler
is filled with beach mat, umbrella, towels and more. (Baylor Beach tickets expire 8/31/16)

Visit the Great Grill Off Auction page for more info!

We are just days away from the fourth annual Great Grill Off here on the CCHO campus!

After giving you a taste of some of the burgers that will be available on the afternoon of June 12th, it’s time to round out the menu with a look at our final four burgers. We’ve also laid out the menu items here.

The Big Woo

Ingredients: Lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, house-made spicy dill pickles, fried (breaded) onion strings, butter and secret sauce (thousand island dressing, Russian dressing, mild hot sauce)

Granny Givand

Ingredients: BBQ sauce, caramel, Granny Smith apples and bacon

Bowtie Bruiser

Ingredients: Pulled pork, avocado, slaw and Bearded Butcher seasoning

Big Kahuna Burger

Ingredients: Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, Teriyaki sauce, bacon, Swiss cheese, pineapple, red onion and mayo

We can hear your stomach growling from here! See you soon!

The 2016 Great Grill Off will be held on the beautiful 165-acre campus of Christian Children’s Home of Ohio:

2685 Armstrong Road
Wooster, OH 44691

The CCHO campus is located about eight miles north of downtown Wooster and roughly eight miles south of the intersection of I-71 and SR 83 in Burbank. You will find us 1 mile west of SR 83 on Armstrong Road.

RT 83 DETOUR

SR 83 is currently CLOSED at Smithville Western Road. If you are coming from the south, follow the detour signs to SR 3, and then turn left (west) at E. Hutton Road. About 2.5 miles later, Hutton will dead end into SR 83. Turn right (north), and Armstrong Road will be on your left 1.5 miles down the road.

When traveling from the north, SR 83 is open to Armstrong Road so please IGNORE the detour signs.

For more details, please click here.