"Cue for a Cause" Nov 19 at Dickey's Barbecue Pit for NAMI Durham

Durham is a food town, for sure.  It is also home to people deeply passionate about helping others, and often food is the focal point of such efforts.  Last January, The Original Q Shack donated thousands of dollars to support NAMI in the wake of the Newtown, CT tragedy.

NAMI is continuing the effort to use food as the focal point for building awareness, as well as an opportunity to raise funds. “’Cue For A Cause,” is this coming Tuesday, November 19 from 5 pm to 8 pm at Dickey’s Barbeque Pit, 5318 New Hope Commons Dr.
The Durham location of this national operation will donate a percentage of its sales from the event to NAMI Durham, a local non-profit providing free advocacy, education, and support to community-members affected by mental illness.

Dorothy Smith, President of NAMI Durham, observed that “Unfortunately, it’s all too easy, as we look at the world around us, to see the stunning costs of a mental health care system that is terribly underfunded. Hopefully, folks will come out and support NAMI Durham in its ongoing efforts to improve both the quality and quantity of mental health care services available throughout our community. No donation is required and everyone’s got to eat somewhere that night, so please come out, have a great meal with us, and help make our community a healthier and happier place to live!” Learn more about NAMI online.

Durham is a great community that loves its food so much it built a website to tell the world that #DurhamIsTastiest, and uses that hashtag, along with #DurhamFood to show the world the great dishes Durham diners are enjoying.

The Original Q Shack Donates Thousands

“I feel like I did something today – something meaningful,” an exhausted Dan Ferguson said last night after his last customers were served.  Ferguson gave 100% of the sales from his Durham restaurant, The Original Q Shack, on January 2, 2013 to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).

“I realized that the tragedy in Newtown, CT could happen anywhere, and that part of the problem is access,” he said referring to mental health resources.  Ferguson wanted to do his part by giving a community known for its willingness to step up and contribute a way to do so. “The day of the shooting I just started looking for ways to help.  I found NAMI and realized that they were doing good work that I wanted to support,” Ferguson added.

Durham has a long history of community action, and that spirit mobilized on Wednesday with customers lined up, and other Durham restaurateurs coming in to help and show their support, too. Tommy Bullock, of famed Durham landmark Bullock’s BBQ showed up with his son Ty to offer to help Ferguson and his crew serve customers.  “I think what Dan is doing is terrific, and I wanted to come tell him in person,” Bullock said.  Other restaurants came out to help, too. Employees from Durham Catering Company, Only Burger, and Rise Biscuits and Donuts were on site to help throughout the day, all giving their time to lend a hand.  

Ferguson estimates 750 to 800 people came through the door.  The guests, and the money they spent, stand as a testament to Durham’s character.  The effort resulted in a significant donation to NAMI - $9,528.72 from restaurant sales and direct donations made at the restaurant during the day.  Ferguson made up the difference to bring the number up to $10,000 even, but that number does not reflect the thousands more that Ferguson spent to make the event possible.  Those additional dollars reflect the cost of food, staff, sales tax, and more.  Ferguson is simply covering those expenses himself.  “This was the right thing to do, and I’m so glad I could do it,” he added.

 “As an all-volunteer organization of Durham citizens, we of NAMI Durham are excited by the success of the largest single fundraising and outreach event in our history. We thank Dan Ferguson, owner of The Original Q Shack, for his generosity, which will expand our ability to offer programs of education, support, and advocacy addressing issues of mental illness. This event also raised awareness in our community of the importance of early intervention and treatment in preventing mental health crises," said Dorothy Smith of NAMI's Durham office. NAMI had an information table setup in the restaurant and shared information with patrons throughout the day. For many it was their first exposure to the organization.

In preparation for the event on Wednesday morning, as he was arranging tables and chairs in his restaurant’s dining room, Ferguson said he had prepared enough food for 1,000, “But how much do you make when you are essentially giving it all away? I've never had to try and figure that out before,” he said, smiling and looking forward to a busy day.

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The Original Q Shack (not to be confused with other similarly named businesses with which Ferguson used to be associated) is located at 2510 University Drive in Durham’s Rockwood District.  Opened in 2003, the restaurant is now a landmark for BBQ in North Carolina.  Ferguson, a Texas native, is the sole proprietor, attended the Culinary Institute of America in NY, and is a veteran of some of Durham’s best known restaurants.

With a local office in Durham, NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.

Durham BBQ Restaurant Offers Help in Aftermath of the Sandy Hook Incident

The food scene in Durham, NC is filled with high-quality product, and high-quality people, too. The events of December 14 in Newtown, CT shook people the world over, and propelled many to action.  Dan Ferguson, owner of The Original Q Shack in Durham, NC is a business-owner and father, and he realizes that this - and every - community needs to help.

Ferguson is donating 100% of the proceeds from The Original Q Shack on January 2 (11 AM to 9 PM) to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) which has an office in Durham.  

“I feed people for a living and knew this is how I could give back to my community,” said Ferguson.  He feels NAMI is the right fit because everyone needs to know that there is help for families who have a family member with mental illness.  “I wanted to help raise money for services and resources that are needed to support these families.  They are not in this alone.  Our community is here for them,” he added.  

“My youngest son is 6 and a half and in first grade....he could have been one of those babies our country lost last week,” said Ferguson who believes that the perpetrator of the incident was in need of mental health care.  “I have three kids and feel for all those parents that have experienced such a devastating loss.  Like our whole community, I felt so helpless watching the news.  I wanted to do something to try and help,” he said.

Among Durham’s most popular restaurants, The Original Q Shack, not to be confused with other restaurants in the area bearing a similar name and with which Ferguson used to be associated, has its sole location in the Rockwood District of Durham at 2510 University Drive. Ferguson is planning on offering limited menu on Wednesday, Jan 2nd 11 AM -9 PM. All of the proceeds from the day will go to NAMI, a move made possible in part by the generous support of one of Ferguson’s vendors, US Foods.

Durham is home to hundreds of great restaurants.  Learn more about all of them here.