Foley High School Students Bring Creativity to the BBQ & Blues Cook Off Trophies

As the 18th Annual Foley BBQ & Blues Cook Off approaches, another meaningful tradition returns alongside the smoky grills and live blues music—the handcrafted trophies created by talented students from Foley High School.

Each year, students from the Foley High School Visual Arts Department lend their creativity and skill to paint the trophies awarded to the winning cook teams. These one-of-a-kind pieces celebrate the hard work of the competitors while highlighting the artistic talents of local students.

Under the guidance of Visual Arts Department Instructor TJ Smith, students carefully painted this year’s competition trophies for the following categories:

Best Butt Trophies

1st Place – Kylee Connell

2nd Place – Bryan Hernandez

3rd Place – Briana Vargas

Chicken Trophies

1st Place – Allison Garcia Portillo

2nd Place – Greidy Tinoco

3rd Place – Bryan Hernandez

Ribs Trophies

1st Place – Emely Pineda

2nd Place – Ashley Aranda Reyes

3rd Place – Danielle Orth

Sauce Trophies

1st Place – Kenya Smith

2nd Place – Zoe Kemmerling

3rd Place – Hayleigh Hughes

Anything Butt Trophies

1st Place – Savanna Downs

2nd Place – Sidney Pacheco

3rd Place – Sophia Warford

Dessert Trophies

1st Place – Mike Brown

2nd Place – Sydney Kent

3rd Place – Angela Flores

Grand Reserve Trophy 

Painted by Allison Jiminez-Orellana

The Grand Champion trophy is especially unique. It was built and painted through a collaboration between Foley High School’s Art, Welding, and Construction classes, demonstrating the power of cross-disciplinary student learning. Special thanks go to Construction & Welding Instructor Lance Lipscomb, along with students Mark Mercado and Riley Johnson, who helped design and construct the trophy.

The materials and fabrication for the trophies were generously manufactured and donated by Vulcan, Inc. of Foley, helping make this community collaboration possible. Representing Vulcan in the photo is Colby Thompson, with appreciation also extended to Daniel Thompson.

The Foley BBQ & Blues Cook Off is more than a barbecue competition—it is the largest annual fundraiser for the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation, supporting educational enrichment initiatives that benefit 14 public and private schools in the Foley and Elberta feeder pattern. By incorporating student artwork into the competition awards, the event celebrates not only culinary excellence but also the creativity and achievements of local students.

As cook teams compete for top honors, they’ll also be vying for trophies that reflect the pride, talent, and craftsmanship of the Foley community.