Nine-thousand pounds of meat was cooked and served at this year’s Dogie Days Barbecue in Dumas.

The 75th Annual Dogie Days event is helping to provide funding for non-profits in Moore County and more importantly helping children with special needs enjoy their summer camp experience.

“It is our privilege every year to be able to give to non-profits,” said Janet Walker, Dumas Noon Lions Club member. “The more you give we can give and we’ve always done that for 75-years.”

Chopping meat at a feverish pace as volunteers were doing their best to get a plate of barbecue food and side dishes out to the thousands of people waiting in line.

For every ticket sold to Dogie Days, the money stays in Moore County to help non-profits and help kids attend summer camp.

“We have safe place women’s shelter we have meals on wheels there’s just lots of organizations that can use our help,” said Pam Cox, head wrangler.

“Moore County and some of the International Lions Clubs charities benefit we have everything from Care Net to United Way to special needs kids plus the Lions Club camps,” said Janet Walker, Dumas Noon Lions Club member.

“Our primary focus is Lions Camp in Kerrville and it’s for disabled children they have one camp that is for children only with diabetes so we support that heavily,” said Angela West, past president/Dumas Noon Lions Club bookkeeper.

It started in 1946, under the name Dumas Annual Old Settlers Reunion and Rodeo in an effort to help fund the boy scouts and the Don Harrington Ranch. Over the years it’s moved from one location to the next but has found a home at McDade Park.

“The first time I attended this we were down on the courthouse square and it did rain down there too but we moved it out here where we’ve really grown over the past years,” said James Mahaffey, Dumas Noon Lions Club member.

There was a delay this year in terms of getting the barbecue out for the people who attended that’s because mother nature brought some much-needed rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those who stood in line say it was worth the wait.

Dogie Days continues Friday and Saturday featuring a carnival, midway and a parade with a new route this year due to road construction projects.