Senator Fred Smith's BBQ Tour Visits Edgecomb County

Tuesday morning the Senator Fred Smith Bus for the 100 County BBQ Tour pulled in to the parking lot beside the Abrams Restaurant in Tarbaro. Senator Smith is now past the two thirds point in his BBQ Tour to visit every county in North Carolina.




Joe Humphries (shown below in the white shirt with his back turned ) is working hard to register the crowd as it arrives. The attendees were nearly three times as many as had been expected as Senator Fred Smith's campaign continues to build momentum.




Senator Smith greets people, including both old friends and new supporters there to get to know him.




James Proctor (shown below), Chairman of the Edgecomb County Republican Party, acted as master of ceremonies and started the event off with a welcome.




Ricky Forkum gave the invocation.




Roscoe Kirkland led the Pledge of Allegiance.




Joy Acree led the attendees in singing the National Anthem.




Everyone then got to enjoy the Free BBQ, symbol of the 100 County Tour by Fred Smith to have a conversation wit the people of North Carolina.




After everyone had eaten, Garland Shepheard (shown below) introduced Senator Fred Smith to the crowd.




As noted above, it was a huge crowd and many people had to jam in to the back of the room with extra chairs brought in to handle the overflow.




Garland had a novel way of introducing Fred, and brought along some props. He described Fred as a new type of broom that would be a "swifter" way of cleaning up the problems in Raleigh.




Fred as usual was waiting in the back for the introduction video which has become the standard part of the BBQ Tour. The Video always ends with the playing of the Lee Greenwood written campaign song. Click here to listen.




What has become another standard part of the BBQ Tour is the Democrat campaign staffer, Paul, who is there to video tape everything Fred says! (Paul is the young man in blue standing just to Fred's right in the picture above.)




Fred gave his usual campaign speech, in which he talks about why he is going to all the effort to visit all 100 counties in North Carolina at least once each during this primary campaign. He tells about gowing up in the Methodist Orphanage in Raleigh, and the struggles in business which ultimately were rewarded by success.

Senator Fred Smith spoke of his love for our State of North Carolina, and his belief that government is out of touch with what the majority of people want. He talked about the things that make us great and the things that help us enjoy the freedom of our great nation America. These talks are always a great dialogue. Though I have seen Fred make a powerful speech in a more formal environment, these talks are always low key, personal and sincere. It is part of what makes them such a great connection between Fred and the people who come out.




The meeting was closed by singing "God Bless America", led by Deidre Jersey (shown above). This is the traditional way that Fred closes his BBQs and it is always a great ending.




When he finishes his speech there are always a great number of people who want Fred to autograph his biography for them.

Fred really lives the theme of his autobiography, "The difference between good and great is a little extra effort." The Edgecomb County stop on the Fred Smith Statewide BBQ Tour was a resounding success thanks to all the great people who came out.