Chicken Broil canceled for 2020

The giant chicken has been a popular attraction at the Chicken Broil.

The largest and one of the longest running annual events, Manchester Annual Chicken Broil was getting ready to celebrate its 67th annual event. And then came a pandemic.

“The Chicken Broil Committee has been watching the news closely related to the pandemic we all are currently experiencing,” said co-Chair Mike Tindall. “The leadership has looked into our options regarding this year’s broil, and gave serious thought if we could safely have a Chicken Broil this year.”

Tindall and fellow co-Chair Gary Bross sent an email last week to the entire Chicken Broil Board of Directors, laying out the many questions and possible obstacles that would need to be addressed to hold the 67th annual broil. “We thought of ways that we could protect our patrons, and equally as important, our volunteers that prepare and assemble the meal,” he said. “Those volunteers would be required to work in close proximity to each other.

“Over the years, the chicken broil has encountered many obstacles that we were able to overcome, but with this pandemic, there were too many unknowns,” he added.

Questions that Tindall had posed to the Washtenaw County Health Department included whether each worker would be tested on the day of the event, and whether they would need to wear masks. “If you’ve ever been anywhere near those pits on a hot July day, you know that no one is going to want to wear a mask down there,” he said. He added that as of last Monday he had not received a clear answer to these questions from the Health Department, which added to the uncertainty of making the call.

Tindall said that it was a unanimous decision of the Chicken Broil Board of Directors that this year’s event should be canceled. The decision had to be made by mid-May because of printing, material, and ordering constraints. It was not a quick decision or one made lightly. “We had a very open discussion via emails,” he said. “This decision was not an easy one to make.”

Tindall also added that he was “very proud” of the actions of the Board and the thoughtful and respectful discussions that ensued following his email last weekend. He said that the Board tried to be considerate of not only the volunteers who would be working but those who would attend the Broil. The uncertainty of being able to plan adequately for a date two months into the future at this time, led to the seemingly inevitable decision.

“We hope our community and our surrounding communities understand this decision, and continue to offer their support for next year’s broil,” said Tindall and Bross in a press release provided to the Mirror. “The Chicken Broil committee (had) voted to support two community organizations’ request for money. We will not be able to provide those funds this year, but when we have a successful broil next year, we will still honor those requests.

“We look forward to another successful Manchester Community Chicken Broil next year, and until then, please remain safe and healthy–we will need your support to make it a success!!”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.