White Rock Que began more than a decade ago as a small backyard cookout among friends.
After a series of sexual assaults in the Lake Highlands impacted one of the founders, the group decided to turn the informal gathering into a fundraiser for Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center.
The annual event combines live music, craft beer, food, and college football with a fundraising mission focused on prevention, advocacy, and recovery.
The White Rock Que barbecue fundraiser will return for its 12th year on Saturday.
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“The support from this community is what keeps the event growing,” said Corie Pierce, one of the founders of the event. “We have nine barbecue cook teams this year, many of them longtime participants, and their local involvement has helped the event grow each year,” she said.
The event, themed “Eat Well and Make a Difference,” will be from 4 to 8 p.m. at Oak Highlands Brewery’s new location, 500 Lockwood Drive in Richardson. Gates open at 3 p.m.
Since it began in 2013, the event has grown into one of the largest community-led efforts of its kind in the Dallas area, raising over $750,000 for survivor services and prevention programs.
All funds raised will go to DARCC, which provides counseling, advocacy, and education programs to support survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones.
“The funds raised by WRQ are life-changing for survivors and give DARCC the chance to expand our services,” Amy Jones, CEO of the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, said in a news release. “But the biggest benefit is the awareness the event creates, helping to normalize conversations that bring healing and change.”
In Texas, an estimated one in five women and one in five men will experience sexual violence in their lifetimes, according to a 2015 study by the University of Texas at Austin.
Oak Highlands Brewery has hosted the fundraiser since 2016 and continues its partnership with DARCC as the event moves to the brewery’s new Richardson site.
“Even if you can’t be at the event, you can still donate online,” Pierce said.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for local organizations seeking community recognition.
Tickets went on sale Oct. 3. For more information, to sponsor, or to buy tickets, visit whiterockque.com. Follow @whiterockque on Instagram for event updates.