AYLUS Great Neck Branch Helps Out at GNCA Barbecue (6/14/26)

On Sunday, June 14th, members of the AYLUS Great Neck Branch dedicated the majority of the afternoon and evening to supporting the Great Neck Chinese Association’s annual summer BBQ at Steppingstone Park. The annual summer BBQ is a much-anticipated community event that welcomes all and brings families and friends together for another successful year of delicious food, entertaining games, and even the World Cup. The volunteers arrived swiftly as twelve o’clock approached, an hour earlier than last year. Under the warm summer skies, the event’s preparation phase began. The phase involved unloading and transporting large tables and arts-and-crafts materials, carrying items to their designated locations, arranging rows of folding tables and chairs into the designated viewing areas for the big screen, and carefully assembling our station to prepare for the food. As the setup progressed, volunteers helped set up activity stations that provided fun for the children; others coordinated with the event organizers to place carefully arranged decorations and equipment in the proper areas, ensuring that every part of the park was organized and welcoming for guests. Through their teamwork and efficiency, the volunteers helped create a festive atmosphere, allowing the event to begin smoothly and setting the stage for an enjoyable evening for everyone in attendance.

By 12:30 pm, early guests had already begun trickling into the party, and the volunteers got to work. They split up into various tasks that demanded a lot of attention. The arts-and-crafts table provided warm gifts like rings or earrings, utilizing individuals’ creativity and using pipe cleaners to make beautiful crafts for guests at the event. Others began preparing the delicious meal sets for guests who purchased the meal set/meat skewers coupons. That is the amazing food service team who worked alongside skilled chefs at the cooking area, where an efficient assembly line was formed to prepare the meals. Some volunteers focused on cutting the potatoes into perfect circles; some split the lettuce into bite-sized pieces; some split the buns into 2 pieces to build the perfect burgers; and some split the hot dog buns likewise. After the preparation was finished, volunteers carefully placed the sizzling, juicy beef patties and hot dogs on fresh buns, while others added tomatoes, lettuce, and even cheese to the burgers. They arranged them on serving trays alongside sides of boiled sweet corn, delicious yams, and bottles of water.

As the afternoon progressed, the serving stations became crowded with families drawn by the delectable aroma of grilled skewers slowly permeating the air, while children’s laughter rang crisp like bells and volunteers constantly circulated the area to ensure the annual BBQ ran smoothly and maintained high quality at all times. Between 4 and 6 p.m., the volunteers finally took their first short breaks to taste the delicious BBQ they had been serving all this time. They were also rewarded for their hard work with a complimentary boat ride, and seeing the glimmering ocean at sunset made us all realize that everything we did was worth it after all. It truly was one of the best views ever on Long Island, with the breathtaking coastline stretching before us. As dusk approached around 6:00 p.m. and the guests began departing, the volunteers once again carried out their duties, packing up the tables and tents and cleaning the area. The successful completion of this beloved community tradition, made possible by the volunteers’ enthusiasm, strong teamwork, and dedication, strengthened the bonds within the diverse Great Neck community and provided valuable leadership experience and the satisfaction of contributing to a memorable summer celebration.