Willie Ray Fairley plans Florida trip to feed Hurricane Ian victims

After several trips down South to feed the masses, barbecue restaurant icon Willie Ray Fairley, owner of Willie Ray’s Q Shack, is planning another trip to provide the help he’s known for.

Fairley’s team is still planning the logistics of the trip, but tentatively plans to leave for Florida on Friday, Oct. 7. His team hopes to serve impacted Floridians in the Fort Myers and Lee County area from Sunday, Oct. 9 through Thursday, Oct. 13.

“The main thing right now is figuring out where we’re going to set up at,” he told The Gazette. “We need to make sure we have everything so we’re suited and booted and ready to go.”

Fairley typically needs a crew of about six people to run grills, prepare and serve food. Often feeding over 1,000 people each day, his humanitarian missions cost tens of thousands of dollars.

His last trip to Kentucky to feed tornado victims cost about $20,000 in a more rural area than the one he plans to visit in Florida. He was able to raise about $13,000 to $14,000 to defray the costs. During each trip, his restaurant on Blairs Ferry Road in northeast Cedar Rapids remains closed.

To support his mission, the public can donate via Venmo to @WillieRaysQShack. The code needed to complete the donation is 3806.

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