Tracy has always had a heart for our military and first responders. He has had a family member in uniform for generations with the most recent generations including his father and uncles, his older brother, Tracy himself, his wife, Misty, and now his eldest son. He has many veteran and first responder friends, and he knows the struggles many face in “life after service.” As a result, in March of 2024, Tracy launched his YouTube channel, My Chow Line - a name reminiscent of military chow halls - and embarked on a journey that would eventually lead to the formation of the My Chow Line, Inc. nonprofit organization. (Rest assured; Tracy’s food far surpasses any military chow!)

Tracy’s vision for the YouTube channel is simple: teach barbeque techniques to our military personnel, veterans, and first responders and to share their stories. The concept behind this vision is also simple: “low and slow” cooks require focus and dedication; this gets our “battle buddies” out of their heads. In addition, great food brings people together, creating shared memories and a shared bond. The bond may not be quite the same as the bonds forged while in uniform, but it comes pretty close! Besides, everyone has to eat, right?

Fast forward to May 2024…

A fellow veteran and friend saw Tracy’s YouTube channel and loved the idea of what he is trying to accomplish. She convinced Tracy and his wife, Misty, to form a nonprofit organization with the same name to help the MCL reach go further. She introduced them to others in the nonprofit and barbeque spaces and helped them brainstorm ideas for fundraising, how MCL can best support our veterans and first responders, and what the future of My Chow Line could entail. By June 24, 2024, we officially became a nonprofit!

As mentioned above, we officially became a nonprofit organization in June of 2024. Tracy applied in May, and while awaiting the approval status, Tracy, his brother, and his wife enjoyed a trip to London, England where they met up with a friend. The four then traveled to Normandy, France for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.

Tracy, his brother, and his buddy, all participated in round canopy parachuting while in France. What an amazing opportunity!

Shortly after Tracy and Misty returned from Normandy, they received the approval for the formation of My Chow Line…

Then a few short months later (September 2024), Hurricane Helene devastated their community. Tracy and his family immediately got to work, first investing their own funds into “relief” efforts. It wasn’t long before they realized the extent of the damage and began recruiting others to donate/serve the community. My Chow Line is not a disaster relief organization, but the newly formed organization saw a need and did their part to fill that need.

While handing out supplies, My Chow Line connected with some local pastors and community members. We were able to partner with them in cooking and serving meals for the community in the weeks and months that followed the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The following November, we partnered with Save The Closet, a disaster relief nonprofit organization based in Florida (founded by Tracy’s sister, Katy), and Rocky Branch Missionary Baptist Church. Together, we provided over 600 plates of Thanksgiving meals and over 600 bags of clothing! (Save The Closet did a fabulous job of providing a “shopping” experience for the clothing giveaway!)

In December 2024, we once again partnered with Rocky Branch Missionary Baptist Church. They already had plans and funds to serve Christmas meals to the community, and we were invited to participate!

My Chow Line and Rocky Branch continue to partner up for large community events to this day.

Since Hurricane Helene…

• Tracy continues to create mouth-watering recipes to upload to his YouTube channel, @mychowline, featuring Grill Your Ass Off seasonings and products…

• My Chow Line has co-hosted cookouts with and for veterans…

• My Chow Line has hosted a few BBQ fundraisers…

• AND MORE!

We look forward to what the future holds for My Chow Line!