An all-female rib cooking contest in Jackson, Tennessee raised more than $5,000 for Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi in Oxford.

Brandon and Michelle O’Guin, owners of Ain’t it the Life catering, met and befriended Oxonians and fellow barbeque enthusiasts Steve and Holly Jubera several years ago doing barbecue competitions. The Juberas held the Velvet Ditch Steak Classic cooking competition for the last three years in Oxford; however, this year they helped the O’Guins with their cooking competition that hosted 28 female competitors ranging from 4 to 60+ years old.

The funds were raised through auctions, raffles and a popular belly-flop contest in the O’Guin’s pool.

The Juberas had used the Velvet Ditch BBQ contest to raise funds for Family Crisis Services, but since they were not holding the event this year, their friends decided to use their all-female cooking contest to raise funds for the organization.

Family Crisis Services is a comprehensive victim services organization providing advocacy services to survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, homicide, domestic violence, and family violence. It is also an accredited Children’s Advocacy Center with the National Children’s Alliance. It serves eight counties and all services are free of charge.

On Wednesday, the O’Guins and their 8-year-old son Myles – who is reportedly also quite the cook – drove down to Oxford to meet up with the Juberas and pass off a check for $5,100 at Family Crisis Services, located on Heritage Road.

Lea Anne Griffin, executive director of Family Crisis Services said the funds will go toward matching funds for grants.

“We receive grants to operate and most have a required match so this donation will be used to help offset those matches,” she said. “Since Covid donations are down. This helps a lot so we don’t have to go out begging. We’re busy doing the work.”

Steven Jubera is on the Family Crisis Service board of directors and sees first-hand the work the organization does to help families and individuals who are victims of abuse. He has also seen it through his work as an Assistant District Attorney in both Lafayette and Desoto counties.

“The work Family Crisis Services does helps me and the District Attorney’s Office by meeting with the children and victims, providing that counseling and therapy so we can ask ‘Are they able to move forward?’ because it’s a scary thing for them and we don’t want to do anything that would further injure these kids,” he said.

For more information about Family Crisis Services, or to donate, visit them online at https://oxfordadvocacy.org or call 662-234-9929.