By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



A Gardendale family received a Christmas surprise three weeks after suffering a devastating loss.

Organizers of a fund-raising event for the family of longtime Gardendale business owner Bruce Lowery were able to raise about $9,200 for the family through the sale of fried turkeys and smoked Boston butts. They were presented the proceeds on Christmas night.

Lowery family friend Carl Wolfe said he wanted to find some way to help the family after Lowery’s passing on Dec. 5. He said God put on his heart the idea of the fund-raiser and it grew from there.

Wolfe said he didn’t want to go into specifics about the family, but said “There was definitely a need there.”

Lowery had owned and operated two restaurants in Gardendale, Rubertino’s and Lowery’s Steak and Seafood. Wolfe said Lowery was recently trying to open another establishment, a barbecue and take-out restaurant on Horse Branch Hill near Morris.

Wolfe said the original idea was to fry about 100 turkeys and cook about 64 Boston butt roasts. However, when it was all said and done, organizers sold 105 turkeys and more than 120 Boston butts. The turkeys were sold for $40 and the roasts sold for $30.

“Because of the community outpouring, we had everything sold before we started frying,” he said. “We had to turn people away because we had nothing available. “It was phenomenal.”

He said God had a hand in the whole event, from the rainbow that appeared over the cooking location on Horse Branch Hill to the abundance of volunteers. He also thanked the community for its generosity in tough economic times.

“I’m still pumped about being part of it,” he said. “I had a little idea, God took it and I was just along for the ride.”