GULF SHORES, Ala. – When Bob Gilray, one of

the organizers of the annual Bratfest, heard the Erie Meyer Civic

Center was unavailable for the event, he and other organizers were

a bit worried.

“We were there for 11 years and when we first

heard that we thought ‘this thing is gonna fall apart.’” Gilray

said. “Well, it isn’t going to fall apart. After thinking about it

we thought, ‘this might be the best thing for us.’ We think it will

work better.”

Snowbird groups get together to produce this

annual fundraiser – this is the 14^th year – and sell the

brats for $5, drink included. Saturday they will do it again, but

instead of using the Meyer facility, it will be at the Adult

Activity Center.

As in the past, the money raised will be split

equally between Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan Fire

Departments. In all, the groups have raised more than $78,000

through the Bratfest for the departments

Gilray says he thinks the new location will

produce another successful year.

“We think it’s probably going to work as well

if not better because we’re going to be more consolidated in one

area,” he said. “Before we had cooking of sauerkraut in the back of

the Erie Meyer and we’d haul some over to the Adult Activity Center

and some out front.

“We had about three big warmers that we got

from the Orange Beach Fire Department that we’d keep the brats hot

in. They were behind the Erie Meyer Center. We would haul a bunch

of them over to the Adult Activity Center for the drive through and

a bunch of them out in front of the Erie. Now everything is at the

Adult Activity Center.”

Gilray says the city of Gulf Shores has been

most cooperative and specifically mentioned Grant Brown, Director

of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, and Fire Chief Hartly

Brokenshaw. Brown helped arrange for a  policeman to work traffic

at one corner on Saturday morning and another may also work the

intersection by the Bodenhamer Recreation.

Brokenshaw is loaning the group a truck the

Gilray says will be invaluable.

“The fire department has a big red truck that

they are going to allow us to put right out next to where we are

selling and we’re going to use that to store all of our buns and

condiments,” Gilray said.

Some electrical improvements at the Adult

Activity Center will also be a big help

“The city has increased the electrical supply

at the center,” Gilray said. “We use a tremendous amount of it.

They added some panels with wiring out to where we’re going to be

selling and wiring out back of the center where all these big bun

warmers will be.”

This year will also be the first time

recycling bins will be onsite, another perk the city offered,

Gilray said.

The group gets 40 gallons of sauerkraut

donated by the owner of Café Beignet in Orange Beach and a variety

of fast-food restaurants donate ketchup and mustard packets.

But if you want one come early. The 3,000

brats go on sale at 10:30 a.m. and usually sell out by noon. One

reason might be the freshness. Gilray says they are made in

Robertsdale at Farm Fresh Meats just a day or so before the

sale.

“He makes the brats about 24 to 48 hours ahead

of time,” he said. “They’re fresh. There’s no preservatives in

them.”

The 10 states

that provide as many as 300 workers are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and

Wisconsin.

“When we first started it, nobody knew anybody

else among the states,” Gilray said. “Now everybody’s on a

first-name basis which I think is awesome.”