HAMPTON — On Saturday, Hampton restaurant owner Randy Bowman and friends will prepare lunch for the Class of 2020 — many of whom missed participating in commencement ceremonies because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bowman organized “Grilling 4 the Graduates,” and will stage a traditional tailgate cookout, with hamburgers, hot dogs and beverages, in the parking area of his eatery, Bowman’s Soul-N the Wall, on Armistead Avenue.
The plan is to make enough food for several hundred graduates. Bowman and his friends — Jerry Clark, Gary Austin and Johnson Tirado — will box the free lunch and distribute them out drive-thru style, to adhere to social distancing, while giving a salute to the graduate.
“We decided to chip in and grill out,” says Bowman who opened in 2017. "It will be like a drive by, like a parade and a lot of our customers will come, like a prep rally ... with banners and balloons ... and the whole nine yards.”
In March, as deaths from coronavirus skyrocketed around the nation, calls to slow the spread of the virus led to shutting down communities, public buildings, stadiums, arenas, parks and schools.
Plans for sports tournaments, commencement and proms and other rites of passage for graduating seniors evaporated.
The idea for a “grill out” came a few week ago after Bowman and his buddies lamented about the coming football season. For years, the friends made an annual trip to see their favorite NFL teams.
This year, it’s not clear when sporting event will be held with the customary crowds of spectators, so they will likely cancel the trip.
Bowman and his buds realized there is another group of folks missing out because of the pandemic — the Class of 2020.
“We normally travel to Dallas ... we always look forward to it," Bowman said. “But then, we’re like, why are we thinking only about ourselves? Look happened to these kids. That’s really horrible.”
The friends — all business owners in Hampton — each know dozens of families with children who graduated college or are participating in virtual graduations happening this month.
“We’re not going to one of our annual football trips this year and we have kids that graduate who are not walking and enjoying graduations," he said. "We just came up with the number 500. We’re just grilling hamburger hot dogs, chips, soda. We will have people boxing them ... and say congratulations!”
“Grilling 4 the Graduates” takes place noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, in the parking area of Bowman’s Soul-N-the-Wall, 1899 N. Armistead Ave.
Graduates are advised to “drive up with your caps and gowns on ... first 500 grads will receive a complete free meal in recognition of your accomplishment,” a flier states.
Lisa Vernon Sparks, 757-247-4832, lvernonsparks@dailypress.com
