E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E
J o h n F . K y n e s – H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n
hcBA ’ s20thAnnualJudicialfoodfestival : celebratingtwodecadesofculinary delightandcommunitySpirit
originallydubbedthe “ Judicialpigroast ,” theAnnualfood festivalAlongwiththe5kproBonoriverruncontinueto BeproudhcBAtraditions .
“ HCBA Barrister Bash Pig Roast a Hog-Wild Success !”
Thus proclaimed a headline from a May 2004 article that appeared in this magazine summing up the inaugural HCBA “ Pig Roast ” held in April of that year . ( See page 11 .)
The 2004 account says there were 22 food booths that served a “ variety of delicious foods and beverages ” to the 400 HCBA or so members and guests who attended the event on the grounds of the “ new ” Stetson Law School Tampa campus .
Well-known Tampa attorney Marian McCulloch , who served as HCBA president in 2003-04 , was instrumental in establishing the popular membership event , which has grown and evolved over the past two decades .
McCulloch said the idea for the event originated at a Board retreat . She said Board members discussed scrapping the HCBA ’ s formal Barrister Ball , which was struggling financially .
She said the Board talked about having a less formal membership event and that Ken Turkel suggested having a pig roast .
McCulloch said the event was modeled on the Clearwater Bar ’ s annual Oyster Roast .
She said she attended the Oyster Roast and thought HCBA members would enjoy having a similar event .
“ We really enjoyed it and saw how it was such a collaborative event ,” McCullough said .
“ I had just been up in Augusta , Ga ., where they roast a pig every year for special occasions , and then in Tampa where people roast pigs in the Spanish tradition ,” McCullough said .
“ I asked the judges if they would roast a pig , and they loved the idea ,” she added .
For many years , the festive event was dubbed the “ Judicial Pig Roast ” because a dedicated group of 13th Circuit judges would slow cook Boston pork butts for hours in a massive black smoker parked behind Stetson under an oak tree .
A fun photo in the June 2004 Lawyer magazine even shows McCulloch donning a chef ’ s hat and presenting judges from the 13th Circuit with a trophy for “ The Best Pig Slop ” at the HCBA ’ s Law Day Luncheon . ( See page 12 .)
Fast forward 20 years to this year , when in March more than 500 people participated in the HCBA ’ s 20th Annual Judicial Food Festival and 15th Annual 5K Pro Bono River Run held along Tampa ’ s Riverwalk and the grounds of Stetson Law ’ s Tampa campus .
“ The Judicial Food Festival and 5K Pro Bono River Run are unique and fun HCBA events , and it ’ s been great to see how they both have grown over the years ,” said current HCBA President Alex Caballero .
“ I believe the family-friendly atmosphere helps build greater camaraderie among HCBA members , and the tremendous participation in the 5K run certainly speaks volumes about the Bar ’ s commitment to pro bono service ,” Caballero added .
This year , there were 37 different food and beverage booths at the Food Festival , which featured a wide variety of culinary delights and handcrafted concoctions .
The 13th Circuit judges were “ all in ” this year , and they took home the top prize for “ Best Hub ,” or most creative booth .
Inspired by the movie Barbie and the “ Barbiemania ” that swept the nation this past year , the judges ’ booth was awash in pink , like Barbie ’ s Dreamhouse .
Some judges even dressed up as Barbie and Ken , and , needless to say , they brought an ample level of “ Kenergy ” to the event .
The HCBA ’ s YLD won runner-up for “ Best Hub ” for their Taylor Swift Eras Tour-themed booth , proving yet again that “ Swifties ” are a force to be reckoned with .
The booth winner for “ Best Grub ” was won by the Quarles law firm , and the runner-up was the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Tampa Bay . continuedonpage11
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