BBQ event raises money for homeless veterans

More than $155,000 was raised over the weekend for sustainable housing for homeless veterans at the fifth annual Ribs, Pigs and Watermelons Summer Festival at Huntington State Beach, officials said.

The event, which featured a barbecue eating competition, music festival and car show, was attended by more than 5,000 people. It raised funds for the construction of American Family Housing’s sustainable housing project, Potter’s Lane, which will provide eco-friendly housing for chronically homeless veterans in Midway City, according to a news release from the nonprofit.

“Our BBQ fundraising event was a rousing success, and we appreciate the efforts of all the professional barbecue teams, our amazing sponsors, our fabulous volunteers and the more than 5,000 attendees who participated in the event,” said Donna Gallup, American Family Housing president and CEO, in a statement. “It was a fun weekend full of great food and music that brought awareness to the pressing need for innovative solutions to address Southern California’s very real problem with homelessness.”

About 35 teams competed in the BBQ competition, for which Lady of Q ultimately took home the prize.

The event also featured an all-day reggae music festival on Saturday, with groups such Special Blend, Arise Roots and Ital Vibes performing.

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Brittany Woolsey, brittany.woolsey@latimes.com

Twitter: @BrittanyWoolsey