Join us on April 30th at Trailblazer Park for a reunion unlike any other! Come enjoy delicious BBQ bites from some amazing local and guest pitmasters and chefs, live music, libations, great company and experience the joy of coming together as a community for an amazing cause.

Your support can help find a cure for the rare genetic disorder that affects a member of the Southern Roots founding family. And what better excuse to come together than great food and an even greater cause?

In February 2019, Geoff Rhye learned that his 15 month old daughter, Ella Marie, had a rare genetic disorder called Kleefstra Syndrome. Like 95% of rare diseases, Kleefstra Syndrome has no FDA approved treatment. There is no cure. However, Geoff has been determined to drive research and drug development to help not only his daughter, but as many other patients as possible. In September of 2020, Geoff and his partners launched IDefine, and quickly raised over $100k to fund the first ever medical center in the US focused on Kleefstra Syndrome, the Kleefstra Clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital. Recently, Geoff hosted an International Conference on Kleefstra Syndrome that saw over 500 clinicians, researchers, and patients attend from 37 countries around the world! Time is of the essence in this battle, and we must accelerate the research and drive progress.

To acquire the funding necessary, Geoff decided to leverage his background in the food and beverage community to create a unique, must attend event. The first call was to Jason Callaway of Bacon Bros Public House about doing a Greenville-based BBQ and music event. Soon thereafter, Jason connected Geoff with Brenda Luginbill of CB Events and local entrepreneur Patrick McInerney, and the team started formulating the idea of a hometown hangout that would bring the community together in a reunion style format to benefit the nonprofit Geoff started, IDefine, and the Greenwood Genetic Center.

This is NOT your average reunion. You'll get to experience a range of meats, seafood, veggies and fruits cooked in all different styles.

When we say our roots are important to us, we really mean it. And that includes how our food is sourced too! We are so proud to be working with various local farmers and producers to stay as true to our roots as possible. From raising the cattle to planting grains, fruits and vegetables, these talented farmers are helping us specifically grow items for the event so you’ll be tasting some of the best, freshest, local ingredients!

Our favorite part about BBQ is the way it brings people together and that’s exactly what we intend to do at Southern Roots. We have curated the perfect setting, with the best company, cooking together for a cause. Our hope is that you’ll leave this event feeling like family!

We'll see you there in April!