Men's Prayer group prepares for annual chicken jamboree

Almost a quarter-ton of chicken (450 pounds, to be exact), will be cooked up and prepared for the community at the annual Chicken Jamboree on Saturday, July 21, at the NorthWestern Energy Power Park in Thompson Falls.

The Men’s Prayer Breakfast has put on the community barbecue for almost 30 years, said group member Kim Roberts. The group, which Roberts said includes about 16 regulars, will serve up barbecue chicken, rolls, potato salad and Charlie Denson’s secret-recipe baked beans.

The event, which begins at 11 a.m. and will go “until the chicken runs out, or the customers run out,” Roberts said. “We’ve never run out of chicken, but we have run out of people.” He said the jamboree usually lasts until at least 3 p.m.

Area musicians will keep the crowd entertained. Roberts said various artists show up and participate.

This is one of two events the Men’s Prayer Breakfast does each year to raise money for the community. In December, they provide refreshments for the Christmas on Main Street parade in Thompson Falls.

Roberts said the jamboree and Christmas on Main Street events are free. They don’t charge for the meals, but he said donations are always appreciated. He said that this month, the men will donate $500 to children for camps at Camp Bighorn in Paradise. They also help keep the local radio station 90.3 FM going, and helped sponsor a group that went to Mexico to help build a church parsonage.

The Men’s Prayer Breakfast group meets at 7:30 a.m. the second Saturday of every month, rotating between Minnie’s and the Rimrock in Thompson Falls. Roberts said that most of the men are from Thompson Falls, but they do have people from Hot Springs and Plains who participate.

For information about the Men’s Prayer Breakfast Group or the Chicken Jamboree, call Don Burrell at 827-4723.