Sam's Club® National BBQ Tour is back!

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The smoke is rising and the sweet fragrance of barbecue sauce is in the air, which can only mean one thing: the fifth annual Sam's Club® National BBQ Tour is back and ready to determine barbecue's 2015 National Champion. Boasting a $500,000 prize purse, the tour packs in 25 local qualifying events, 5 regional finals and then, a national championship at the Sam's Club headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. on Oct. 10. Michael McDearman, series director, will kick everything off with the first stop of the season in Kissimmee, Fla. on Feb. 21.

Since 2011, the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour has traveled the United States, region by region, searching for the year's best in competitive barbecue and awarding top teams a total of $2.5 million in total prize money. In that time, thousands of Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition teams worked to carefully perfect and present their barbecue, which was assessed by KCBS Certified Barbecue Judges as well as master judges at the championship. More than 700 teams are expected to compete for their shot at fame in the 2015 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour. 

"This tour shows the true American barbecue style of cooking that stretches all over the country – from coast to coast, border to border," said Series Director Michael McDearman.

The Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is a tournament-style series in which teams must advance from a local qualifying event to the top tier of their regional event in order to qualify for the National Championship and a shot at the $50,000 Grand Champion prize. Sponsored by Bush's®, Cargill™, Clorox®, ConAgra Foods®, Heinz®, the National Pork Board, New Zealand Lamb, Pepsi®, Reser's® Fine Foods, Sweet Baby Rays® and Tone's®, this continuously building competition brings out the best, most committed barbecue teams and keeps judges and spectators returning to Sam's Club competitions for the smell and flavor of the country's best barbecue.

Of course, the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour has something for everyone. While the teams are cooking for big money, McDearman will demonstrate grilling tips and techniques as well as offer samples of quality meats to event attendees. Each event is free and open to the public. For more information and to view the tour schedule, visit: kcbs.us/samstour.

About Sam's Club
Sam's Club®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in 647 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.

About Kansas City Barbeque Society
The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque, is the world's largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts with over 20,000 members worldwide.

KCBS sanctions more than 450 barbeque contests throughout the United States and 28 countries. From volunteering to actual event production, our members also offer assistance to civic and charitable organizations who organize events.  For more information, visit: kcbs.us.

SOURCE Kansas City Barbeque Society

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