The barbecue community rallied together to serve over 110,000 meals to the tornado victims and recovery workers in Joplin, Mo. over the last week, and have plans to continue throughout the duration of recovery.

Operation BBQ Relief for Joplin rallied barbeque cooks, teams, judges and enthusiasts to come together to feed the thousands of people impacted by the May 22 tornado that devastated Joplin. Organized by Kansas City Barbeque Society members Jeff Stith, Will Cleaver and Stan Hays, the relief effort was launched just days after the tornado. The Facebook page for the effort already has more than 1,000 fans and serves as a forum for those looking to donate or volunteer.

It's estimated that nearly 150 BBQ’rs volunteered to cook, serve and deliver meals throughout the Joplin area. Operation BBQ Relief for Joplin began cooking on Tuesday, May 24 and served the first meal around noon on Wednesday.

In addition to preparing meals, the BBQ community also donated toys, which were delivered to children in affected neighborhoods.

A special thank you to all those that volunteered time and donated funds and materials to the cause, and to the following companies and organizations who helped make Operation BBQ Relief for Joplin a success: