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A businessman from Kansas brightens the mood and continues a 21-year Christmas tradition by helping to provide meals to those in need – even as she goes through a battle with her own health.
“This has been such a special time and we really couldn’t have done all of this without the community,” said Shawn Holiday, co-owner and wife of Doug Holiday, describing their family tradition. “But our boys, that’s all they know from a young age.
Doug and Shawn Holiday opened the popular barbecue joint in Lawrence, Kansas in 2004, and that’s when the First United Methodist Church first approached them for help.
“We have been since 2004 doing it on Christmas Eve. This is what we do. We go in, take the turkeys, clean them, prepare them to be put in the smokehouse. If the weather is bad, the guys and Doug will spend the night here to make sure the whole smoking process goes perfectly,” said Shawn Holiday, explaining the dinner preparation process.
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Doug Holiday and his family have been serving meals to the Lawrence, Kansas community on Christmas Eve for 21 years. (Shawn Holiday)
This year marks the 21st year that they have helped prepare meals for the church. In the two decades since they started, Doug says they’ve cooked more than 1,300 turkeys and fed more than 20,000 people.
“So I think that’s a pretty good record,” Doug said with a laugh.
But this year was harder than most for the Holiday family.
Doug Holiday, a three-time cancer survivor, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the beginning of 2024
“You just have to keep moving forward. I had a second type of cancer in 2014 and we did the same thing. My boys took off… I have three boys. Now they’re all grown up and they all come back and help. And that means a lot to me,” he said Doug Holiday, choking back tears.
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Doug Holiday, a three-time cancer survivor, continues a 21-year family tradition of giving back to the community, despite battling prostate cancer. (Shawn Holiday)
Doug Holiday has battled non-Hodgskin’s lymphoma and melanoma in the past.
Despite his health issues, Doug said this tradition with his family and community is what he looks forward to most each holiday season.
“He means the world to me. He really does and makes him so special to me [sharing this with his family] I can’t describe it, it’s a very emotional time,” said Doug Holiday.
Shawn Holiday said the need for meals continues to grow in the Lawrence community and she is continually amazed at the support they continue to receive each year for this event.
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Biggs BBQ owners Doug and Shawn Holiday have continued a 21-year family tradition of cooking turkeys for the Lawrence community, despite Doug going through a battle with prostate cancer. (Shawn Holiday)
“The need seems to be growing over the last few years. And so it’s really nice that everybody is stepping up to help people who need it. I mean, we’ve had things in our personal lives that, you know, have gone astray, but even if Doug doesn’t feel well, he would never let the community down,” Shawn Holiday said.
Shawn added that even their customers have joined the holiday giveaway through the years.
“We have customers come in and drop off bags, and they bring turkeys that they donate to the community dinner. I mean, it’s a whole project that everybody does, and it’s a really amazing experience,” Shawn continued.
The Holiday family has been raising and cooking turkeys for the Lawrence, Kansas community since 2004. (Shawn Holiday)
“It shows the amazing people who live in Lawrence, Kansas, and how they can all come together for a cause and help each other. And that’s what’s neat about the whole thing. That’s what’s neat about Lawrence, Kansas,” Doug Holiday repeated his wife.
Doug said what makes it all the more special is seeing his three grown sons, Seth, Jacob and Ben, show up every year and carry on the family tradition.
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“All the boys are grown. What’s amazing is that when we first started this in 2004, it took us probably 4 to 5 hours to prep the turkeys and get them ready for the smokehouse. And now they’re taking less and less time now that they’re grown up,” Doug said.
“It was very, very satisfying to know that my sons care and want to help. It’s something I look forward to every year.”
Anyone wishing to contribute to the dinner can make donations to the First United Methodist Church in Lawrence, Kansas, or the American Cancer Society.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Tips and story ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
