Family BBQ 2026: Celebrating 35 Years of Ministry
On Saturday, June 27, more than 680 attendees, including foster families, volunteers, supporters, community partners, and neighbors, gathered at Coyote Hill’s Harrisburg Foster Care Neighborhood for an evening of food, laughter, and celebration of our 35th anniversary at our annual Family BBQ.
While the Family BBQ has become a beloved Coyote Hill tradition, its beginnings were surprisingly simple. Around 2011, Home Parents at the Foster Care Neighborhood began hosting an informal Fourth of July gathering to make the holiday extra special for the children in their homes. At the same time, beginning in 1999, Coyote Hill hosted an annual Open House each September, welcoming approximately 200–300 supporters to the Harrisburg campus.
As both events continued to grow, it became clear they shared the same purpose: bringing together foster families, supporters, volunteers, and the broader community to celebrate the ministry. In 2022, the two events officially merged into what is now the Family BBQ. Today, the event regularly welcomes more than 600 guests and has become a unique celebration where foster families and community supporters gather in nearly equal numbers, an incredible picture of the relationships and community God has built through Coyote Hill over the past 35 years.
This year’s Family BBQ held even greater significance as we celebrated 35 years of providing A Safe Place to Be a Child™ for children impacted by foster care!
Guests enjoyed a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the evening, including hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo, games, home tours, Kona Ice, Andy’s Frozen Custard, Coop’s Cotton Candy, Walnut & Twine Mercantile iced coffee and lemonade, and a worldclass fireworks display that brought the celebration to a memorable close. More than just a summer event, the Family BBQ offered an opportunity for our community to come together, build relationships, and celebrate the lives that have been impacted through the ministry over the past three and a half decades.
“We are incredibly grateful for everyone who joined us to celebrate,” said Event Manager Linley Stockman. “Whether you volunteered, donated, attended with your family, or simply came to learn more, you helped make this milestone celebration so special.”
One of the highlights of the evening was watching foster families connect with one another while children played freely across the neighborhood. Community members had the opportunity to tour homes, meet staff and volunteers, and experience firsthand the welcoming environment that defines the Coyote Hill community.
Throughout the evening, you could see the whole history of our ministry. Former Home Parents, children who grew up at The Hill with their children, reunified families next to their child’s foster parents, adoptive parents, founding board members, and current Family Partners were all gathered. Events like the Family BBQ remind us that creating a safe place for children is something that takes an entire community to create.
Former Home Parent, Amanda Cox, reflected, “It struck me how beautiful and all-encompassing the event is. I had conversations with founding board member and supporters, Pete and Brenda Cummings, who were there when it all started. Then I had a conversation with a foster family who just got started a few months ago. I saw kids who used to live at The Hill and kids who currently live there. I spoke with people who have been serving in the ministry for years and met some who just got started a few months ago. I talked to grandparents who are relative providers and those who have adopted. I watched a foster mom play alongside her former foster daughter and her biological mother who have since been reunified. It felt really special, and I felt very blessed to be even a small part of this big and ever-growing family!”
The Family BBQ would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors, including Columbia Rentals, Home State Health, MFA Oil, Phyllis Nichols with State Farm, Spirit of ’76, Moberly Area Community College, Faith Lutheran Church, Restoration Chiropractic, First Christian Church Fayette, Bonuchi & Company LLC, Service Master Restore, Eurofins, and many others who donated their time and services.
Volunteers, staff, and countless supporters also gave their time, talents, and resources, continuing to create opportunities for children and families to experience hope, healing, and belonging.
As Coyote Hill reflects on 35 years of ministry, we celebrate not only the milestone but also the children, families, volunteers, donors, and partners who have been a part of the journey. While we’re celebrating the past, we’re even more excited about what’s ahead. Together, we will continue walking alongside children and foster families, providing hope, support, and A Safe Place to Be a Child™ for generations to come.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this unforgettable evening. You helped make our 35th anniversary celebration one to remember!
