A benefit dinner raising funds for the Beckham County Fire Departments, Canute Fire Department and Berlin Fire Department will be held from 5-8 pm at the Elk City Convention Center on April 24.
All proceeds will be donated to the agencies. The meal will feature three meats, two sides, desserts, and drinks, which are provided by Poppy’s Pit and Grill.
Poppy’s is known for its famous smoked meats to Beckham County residents and travelers alike.
Also funding the benefit is Levi Koch with Snap-On Tools and Great Plains Bank.
Activities such as the fire dog, fire trucks, face painting, and a silent auction will be available to guests.
Local musicians Tyler Wilhelm and JW Lane will perform. Wilhelm and Lane have both played throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states, singing their original songs alongside award-winning artists such as Love and Theft and Stoney LaRue.
The meal will be available by donation. Poppy’s owner, Jon VanBuren, advised, “There is no set donation amount. These fire departments provide a vital service to all of us living and working in Beckham County, so we encourage people to come out to support them and give whatever is on their hearts to give. No amount is too big or small. The important thing is just coming together as a community to support them like they always do for us. We are fortunate here to have these dedicated people.”
Jon, who owns and operates Poppy’s with his wife, Trina, opened the restaurant at the famous Trigger’s Corner at the intersection of South Highway 6 and Highway 152 on March 6, 2020.
He had been in the oilfield for thirty years, and Trina had been in Elk City retail for decades when the couple decided to pursue their restaurant dreams.
Little did they know that mere days after opening, the world would be plunged into the historic Covid 19 pandemic.
“Opening a restaurant is always a big risk, and we were doing it in the middle of nowhere, even for Beckham County,” Trina laughed. “Then we finally decide to do it, and the pandemic breaks out. Nobody alive had ever been through anything like that before, so we didn’t have anyone to go to for advice. So, we did what rural people do — we banded together and got through it. Many of the people who serve on these fire departments were our biggest supporters. Whenever a fire has been close to our restaurant or our home in Carter, they all show up. Most of them are volunteers, so they are donating their time and money to keep us all safe. This has been a rough year for them with Colter’s death and all the fires, so we just wanted to give to them like they always give to the community.”
Poppy’s is open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, they are open from 6 am to 2 pm.
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, they are open from 6 am to 8 pm.
On Sundays, they have a “short day” from 11 am to 2 pm.
“We are still taking donations for the silent auction,” Trina added.
