With the Mecosta County Fair right around the corner, that also means it’s almost time for the annual Angels of Action chicken barbeque event. 

This is a beneficial event to help children and families through Mecosta and Osceola counties.

“We make it fun,” Angels of Action Executive Director Kim Easler said. “You get to see so many people in the community and you're serving the community.”

The barbeque has been held at the fair every year since 1982. While the event will be held under the same roof for the 43^rd straight year, the site will be renamed for the “Chicken Shack” to the “Chicken Coop.”

“The menu has changed a little bit,” Easler said. “We are still having our fabulous chicken with the secret sauce as well as the Mancino’s rolls, which are amazing. We will also have coleslaw, because you gotta have coleslaw to barbecue. This year, we're going to switch up the corn this year and go back to some ‘Angel style’ baked beans.”

Kids options will include chicken nuggets, rolls, applesauce, and a juice box. Kid’s pricing will also be cheaper on Wednesday this year, as it will be kid’s day at the fair. Regular meal pricing will be the same as last year. 

This four-day event involves over one thousand volunteer hours and 150-plus people to make it happen. Support for the event began back in the 1950’s with the Big Rapids Rotary, who are a pivotal part of the effort to this day. 

Angels of Action is a non-profit organization that specializes in serving kids from Osceola and Mecosta County, including many different food related programs. 

“We just wrapped up our weekend backpack food program and we were up to 1,350 kids every week,” Easler said. “We're here to serve and if somebody needs it, no matter if it's a temporary situation or unemployment needs. We’re happy just to be there for everybody.”

For information on the event, visit the Angels of Action Facebook page at www.facebook.com/angelsofaction.