Ferman Walker, senior production supervisor; Norman Jones, production supervisor; and Mike Johnson, production supervisor, get ready to cook.
On Feb. 21, employees at our engineered wood products plant in Natchitoches, Louisiana, streamed into the parking lot filled with decorated tents, each one overflowing with the mouthwatering scent of hot gumbo.
It was the plant’s fifth-annual "Rouxin’ for the Relay" event, a friendly competition between teams in each department to craft the tastiest gumbo to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
“Everyone I know, including myself, has been affected by cancer in some way,” says George Jackson, quality assurance technician lead, whose Shipping/Quality Assurance team won top honors this year by raising the most money. “This event brings us closer together and gives us a feeling of pride for supporting Relay for Life. Plus, it’s a blast — people even come in on their day off to participate.”
A STIRRING CHALLENGE
Organized by Shonna Sullivan, senior buyer for our facilities in Natchitoches and nearby Dodson, Louisiana, Rouxin’ for the Relay is held months earlier than the annual Natchitoches Parish Relay for Life event, which takes place on May 24.
“It’s hot most of the year here, so cooking and eating gumbo is best enjoyed in winter, when the weather is mild,” Shonna says. “A February event also stretches out the amount of time we raise money leading up to the full Relay for Life, which boosts our giving totals.”
Over the past five years, the event has become hotly anticipated. Preparation kicks off when Shonna sends out a sign-up sheet and a packet of information. Three employees represent each department: I Line/Products/Press, Maintenance/Storeroom, Shipping/QA and Office/Supervisors.
“Sometimes so many people sign up we have to draw names at random to keep the teams small,” Shonna says. “Enthusiasm is high!”
Each team must make 100 cup-sized servings. During the planning phase, they choose a team captain, decide on a recipe and gather the equipment they’ll need: burner, propane, pots and pans, and other cookware.
The day before the cookoff, team captains gather at a local grocery store to purchase ingredients, strictly limited to $200 each. To keep the competition fair, all cooking must take place onsite the day of the event.
A RECIPE FOR GIVING
Participants explain there’s an art to making gumbo, which starts with the perfect roux. Some cooks heat this mixture of fat and flour until it’s caramel-colored, while others take it all the way to chocolate brown in the signature Louisiana style, constantly stirring for 45 minutes or more.
Some cooks stick to the two main traditional gumbo styles: chicken and sausage or seafood. Others add unexpected ingredients such as pork loin or red gravy in place of roux.
“There can be a lot of variation, which is what makes the taste-testing process so fun,” George says.
Each department’s tent has a cooking station, folding chairs, speakers and themed decorations, along with a money jar. The employees tasting the gumbo vote with their money: $1 in the jar equals 1 vote for the team that cooked the dish.
The teams are allowed to donate to their own jars and can solicit donations from outside organizations prior to the event. Some employees, including Loria Scott, bander operator, begin collecting donations from family, friends, local businesses and churches months before the event to contribute to her team’s pot. The team with the most funds at the end of the day wins the Champion title for the year and $50 in ‘green star points,’ allowing them to choose from a selection of prizes.
A finished gumbo, ready to taste. George made two separate gumbos: a chicken and sausage, and his personal favorite seafood gumbo. 'We like to have both options, in case anyone has food allergies,' George says. They also sold cookies and Cokes to make extra money. 'We priced our Cokes at 50 cents, because they’re a dollar in the vending machine, and we wanted to outbid the machine,' George says. 'That’s just one small way to bring up our overall the dollar amount to donate.'
PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING
Selling side items such as drinks and desserts is a great way for each team to raise their chances of winning. Brandi Smith, reliability manager, who cooked on the Maintenance/Storeroom team, sometimes brings in up to 40 cheesecakes made by her sister.
“I lost my mother to cancer in 2007, so my family and I are very passionate about Relay for Life,” Brandi says. “My sister pays for all the cheesecake ingredients — one year it was $400 worth. I’m honored that Weyerhaeuser hosts this event, and I’m always happy to contribute anything I can to fundraising efforts.”
By the end of the day, this year’s Rouxin’ for the Relay raised $1,701.18.
“Shonna and our office do a great job of putting on this event,” George says. “I only hope that one day we can make it even bigger and sell to the public in addition to employees at the mill.”
Want to try your hand at replicating a fantastic Louisiana gumbo?
“The key to a good gumbo is the ‘juice,’” George says. “You have to have the right amount of liquid to make it a good consistency. You don’t want it to be too thick, or too watery. You don’t want to overcook your roux. And you don’t want too many vegetables. Keep it simple and focus on the overall flavor.”
Brandi Smith, reliability supervisor; Shonna Sullivan, senior buyer; and Sam McCain, senior maintenance supervisor, decided to do a hunting theme for their booth this year.
