Chicken Broil donates big to the Manchester community
The Chicken Broil giant chicken has made many friends in Manchester over the years! Mirror file photo.
by Marsha Chartrand
It started out small, with the somewhat lofty goal to surround the Athletic Field in the middle of town with a fence. Back in 1954, $1,000 was a lot of money in a small community, but the Jaycees raised $1,075 that year for their project.
And it kept growing from there. The second and third years, they raised an additional $1,333.67 and $1,314.91, to continue the effort. More projects for the Athletic Department were added during that first decade … along with improvements to Carr Park and for the library.
As the years went by, the diversity of projects grew and the community has been a recipient to many other, non-athletic gifts on behalf of the Chicken Broil. One of the greatest donation amounts was again to the Athletic Department in 2004, a total of $41,765.59 for bathrooms at the new Athletic Complex, between the High School and Klager Elementary. Other large donations over the years were to build and improve Chi-Bro Park. Another $40,000 was given to develop the Pickleball, Tennis, and Basketball courts in 2022 and 2023.
Overall, throughout the 73-year history of the Manchester Chicken Broil, it has brought not only countless improvements to the community, but developed a camaraderie among residents and visitors from the wider community. Thousands of chicken-seekers have visited Manchester to get that white box filled with 1/2 chicken, coleslaw, chips, a few yummy radishes, a dinner roll, and a bottle of water to wash it all down. Things may have changed slightly over time, but the basic recipe for deliciousness has remained the same. We now have advertising on the boxes, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of some young Manchester men, and the generosity of the sponsors, which helps the bottom line.
The Chicken Broil is always seeking to find new organizations, projects, and ideas of places to donate their proceeds. Those who have a large upcoming pprojcect are welcome to apply for a grant, large or small. Contact manchesterchickenbroil@gmail.com.
In all, said Jeff Mann, chair of this year’s Broil, the actual amount of money raised over the years has been $784,863.26. Counting in today’s dollars, the total reaches about $1,454,021. Not bad for a bunch of small-town guys who needed a fence for their Athletic Field.
Stay tuned, there are plenty more tales to be told. And don’t forget to come out, Saturday July 19, from 4-8m. Still at the “old” Athletic Field, now named Alumni Field at the corner of Macomb and Vernon.
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