It would take a lot more than some rain to wash out all the great enthusiasm surrounding New York Needs You’s (NYNY) second annual, “BBQ and You” fundraising event! Bryant Park’s laid back and summer ready Southwest Porch would play as the backdrop to an evening of endearing celebration and of course loads of finger licking delicious barbecue.

Our outlet was thrilled to attend this extremely important and joyous event for a second year in a row. New York Needs You pairs high-achieving, financially restricted college students with young professionals to forward their potential with job shadowing, resume writing seminars and internships just to name a few. At 7pm we held our umbrella raised proudly to the sky as we entered the Southwest Porch space seeing all our fellow revelers doing the same with smiles planted firmly on their faces. Before we would venture over to the beautiful spread of smoked and grilled meats it was time to shake off the bad weather with a cold drink. The “BBQ and You” drink sponsorship perfectly captured the spirit of the season. The great people at Peak Organic Brewing Company came to the park with their popular, “Summer Session” ale. The beer presents a thirst quenching citrus bouquet with just a hint of hops. It’s a perfect brew to sip on as the temperature rises. Since we couldn’t live on beer alone, Apothic wines was on hand to pour their crisp rosé that explodes with a great combination of sweet and lightly sour flavors. We also really enjoyed their traditional red style, which gave off the sensation of tasting juicy red grapes at the beach.

With a few delightful adult beverages under our belts we joined the crowd of hungry barbecue lovers at the long table facing the pit style grill and the smoker. Large fall off the bone pork ribs, spicy barbecue chicken, grilled corn, and jumbo shrimp were only a snap shot of all the delectable dishes for us to sample. All of these savory eats were provided by the terrific team at, ‘wichcraft. The popular New York City eatery was a major sponsor of the event and is committed to support the tireless efforts of New York Needs You.

Along with the hearty eats and great beverages there was also a raffle to directly support the organization and provide event goers with a chance at some great prizes. About half way through the evening no one seemed to even notice that it had ever been raining. The evening was just that much fun and uplifting. Once everyone was well fed NYNY CEO, PJ Kim took to the microphone to thank everyone in attendance and praise his hard working staff. To our pleasant surprise, we were happy to be informed about, “New Jersey Needs You” which has been serving and advancing the students of an entirely new region since 2012. We just love to see this kind of goodwill spread throughout the east coast and beyond! The work that New York Needs You shoulders on a daily basis is both humbling and inspiring. Our outlet will continue to bring you updates on this great organization, but we recommend you go to their website and truly see for yourself all the great work they do.

- Jay Rubin