How the Paducah Kiwanis Club has turned smoke, sauce, and service into significant support for local children
When most people think of Paducah’s annual BBQ on the River festival, they picture the aroma of slow-smoked barbecue, crowded streets, and fierce competition for championship trophies. But behind one of the festival’s most recognizable teams is a mission that extends far beyond the smoker.
For the members of the Paducah Kiwanis Club, barbecue isn’t just about winning awards—it’s about investing in local children, supporting community organizations, and providing scholarships that change lives. Kiwanis is the only nonprofit organization that has been involved in BBQ on the River without missing a year since it began in 1995.
Since joining the club nearly two decades ago, Brent Housman has helped lead the Kiwanis Club’s mission and has been one of the many dedicated hands behind its nationally recognized barbecue operation.
Brent wasn’t looking for a civic organization when he walked into his first Kiwanis meeting in 2008. At the time, he was running for public office and had been invited to speak to the club. “I enjoyed the camaraderie,” Housman recalled. “They had fun, they sang, and they laughed. They weren’t as serious as some of the other civic groups.”
After the election, he decided to join. Since, Housman has served in nearly every leadership role within the organization. Along the way, he earned both the George F. Hixson Fellowship Award and Kiwanian of the Year.
“BBQ on the River asks competitors to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity,” Housman explained. “We don’t just donate a portion—we give 100 percent of our profits back to local nonprofits.”
A large part of their earnings, more than $20,000, have funded area high school senior college scholarships. Additionally, more than $50,000 has been raised for local non-profits. Outside of two signature events each year, all of the club’s funds are raised through selling barbecue at Paducah’s annual fall event. On the river is where they compete—cooking and selling. Off the river they prepare hams and Boston butts. All combined, the Kiwanis Club averages about $60,000 donated to local nonprofits annually.
“We have three commercial pits and probably $80,000 invested in cooking equipment and setup. It’s not a cheap operation,” says Brent. It’s also a demanding endeavor. “Our cookers are always manned. If the pits are running, someone is there. John Oliver is often that someone. He is one of our most dedicated volunteers. We couldn’t do this without him.”
Kiwanians can cook up to a thousand pounds of meat per pit at one time. The most they have ever done during an Easter fundraiser was about 600 hams and butts. “Our cookers are always manned,” Brent emphasized. “If the pits are running, someone is there.”
Total cooking time is around twelve hours. Volunteers start at 6 PM, take the food off at midnight, wrap it all tightly in foil, then put everything back on and cook it until 6 AM. Their pitmaster, Brandon Clifton, has attended a couple of different barbecue schools to home his skills.
The club has won many awards at BBQ on the River, including Reserve Grand Champion in 2019 and Grand Champion in 2023. They also earned First Place Backyard Chicken and First Place Backyard Ribs in past years.
The club’s now-popular box lunch is also a fundamental element of the group’s charitable efforts. Because every team must purchase its meat weeks in advance through BBQ on the River, poor weather leading to low attendance can leave organizations with unsold inventory. Selling lunches in advance allows Kiwanis to recover much of its investment before the festival even begins. Kiwanians deliver, on average, 1,000 box lunches over two days.
Though the Kiwanis barbecue is top notch, the team is also known for its unique barbecue nachos and barbecue mac and cheese. Heather Overby, former Kiwanis president, attended a meeting in New York City where they served the barbecue nachos. Upon return, she told the club they were going to try it. They told her she was crazy. Now a decade later, the popularity of these two classic offerings proved her point.
The club raises funds primarily for local children’s charities and youth programs. In addition to the scholarship program, the club partners with several nonprofits including Paducah Day Nursery, Beyond Uganda, Child Watch, Community Christian Academy, and River Discovery Center.
“Everything we do is centered around children,” Housman said. “That’s what Kiwanis is about. Kiwanis is a global organization whose missions is dedicated to serving the children of the world.’”
As smoke rises above downtown Paducah each September, the trophies may capture the headlines, but for the Paducah Kiwanis Club, the greatest reward comes long after the last plate is served. Every rack of ribs, every pork sandwich, and every box lunch help fund scholarships, strengthen nonprofit organizations, and create opportunities for local children. For Housman, that’s a recipe worth coming back to year after year.
