Area residents will once again be able to satisfy their barbeque craving as the Selma Rotary Club hosts its annual barbeque fundraiser Friday at Memorial Stadium.

The event is one of the largest fundraisers the club holds each year with the proceeds going to fund community initiatives.

In the past the club has funded organizations such as the city and county schools, the Journey School, the Selma Public Library, the Job Fair, the United Way, the Salvation Army and the YMCA, among others. The club also awards annual scholarships to area high school seniors and honors a “citizen of the year.”

“This project gives us the ability to contribute to all the various community service projects we do each year,” said barbeque chairperson Tommy Atchison. “And while it’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation, after everything is planned out it’s also a lot of fun to get together with the other Rotarians and work. We’ve got a great club, one of the oldest in the state, and our membership loves an opportunity to give back to the community through events such as this.”

The barbeque will be sold in pre-packaged containers for $8 per pound. Tickets can be purchased in advance through any Rotary member or folks can pay the day of the sale for their barbeque, but quantities are limited, so club members encourage those purchasing the day of the sale to come early. Pickup will begin at 11 a.m. and go until 6 p.m.

Club members will labor through the night Thursday preparing the barbeque with the meat being purchased locally through Ziegler’s.

“Zeigler’s is a great partner to have for this project and they always treat us right,” Atchison said. “And their meat really cooks up great, so I hope everybody buys a pound or two.”

The Selma Rotary Club meets each Monday from noon to 1 p.m. at the St. James Hotel and the club is involved in many community-building projects such as Camp Grist, Camp ASCCA, Habitat for Humanity and delivers Meals on Wheels each week to local residents.