GRANVILLE — This weekend area residents will have the chance to eat wings while supporting a great cause.
University Towne Center’s Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot will transform into Wingapalooza today to Sunday and all proceeds from the three-day festival will support the Granville Police Department’s annual Shop-With-a-Cop program.
“The Granville Police Department is one of the most amazing police departments I’ve ever come into contact with,” general manager Marcus Wright said.
He praised their strong desire to be a part of the community, but Chief Craig Corkrean said that’s just their job.
“It’s our duty to do that [community interaction],” he said. “Not only as a police department but we should give back to our community as a town.”
Wright said that Buffalo Wild Wings has worked with the department before on a few small-scale fundraisers but this one is huge.
He said his goal was to have an outdoor festival with something for everyone—adults, kids and families.
The restaurant’s parking lot will be fenced off for the festival and the West Virginia Black Bears are allowing patrons and festival participants to park in one of its lots, he said.
There will be daily cornhole tournaments, face painting, a balloonist, a silent auction, live music, tickets to Black Bears games and a wing eating contest, Wright said.
“Saturday will be the kid’s day,” he said.
Wright said Sunday will be a Madden tournament and the winner will win a gift card to Gamestop so they can purchase Madden ’19 when it comes out in August.
Attendees will be able to drink their beer beyond the patio and in the parking lot thanks to an extension from the ABC, Wright said.
Corkrean thanked not just Buffalo Wild Wings for their efforts, but all of the businesses who have donated items to the raffle or festival.
“Every business we approached donated something,” he said.
Silent auction items include two 50-inch TVs, a PS4, Black Bears tickets, hotel stays, a Yeti cooler and more, Wright said.
Shop-With-a-Cop is an important program because it allows children to interact with first responders in a positive way and not just in situations they might not have good memories of – like an arrest or car wreck, Corkrean said.
“It’s good to provide awesome memories for them.”
