A group of men in their 20s in Washington state has posted a Craigslist ad seeking a "generic father" to grill burgers and hotdogs at a gathering over Father's Day weekend in mid-June.
Qualifications, the ad says, include a minimum of 18 years' experience as a dad and 10 years of grilling experience. The chosen "dad" must bring his own grill, but burgers and hotdogs will be provided.
Dane Anderson, one of the barbecue hosts, tells Spokane NBC affiliate KHQ-TV that the young men don't live with their fathers and, as the ad says, none are prepared to fill the role of "BBQ Dad."
What does a "BBQ Dad" do, exactly?
As the Craiglist ad notes, duties include:
- Grilling hamburgers and hot dogs (whilst drinking beer, of course)
- Bringing your own grill (subject to change, but meat will be provided by party planners)
- Referring to attendees as Big Guy, Chief, Sport, Champ, etc.
- Talk about dad things like lawnmowers, building your own deck, Jimmy Buffet, etc.
The perfect candidate will meet the following qualifications:
- A minimum of 18 years experience as a father
- A minimum of 10 years grilling experience
- An appreciation of cold beer on a hot summer day
Bonus points if your name is Bill, Randy or Dave, the ad says.
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Anderson says several potential barbecue dads have responded, and the ad has even resulted in viral fame for one Canadian man, KHQ reports.
Anderson found the "generic father" picture used in the Craigslist ad on a website called TheLittleHoneybee.com. The photo, it turned out, was of Toronto dad Doug Sherman.
Anderson said he and Sherman got to meet over Facetime on Sunday.
"What were your thoughts when this went viral?" asked Anderson.
"I think this is just kind of a hoot, my friends think this is a hoot. I'm the BBQ dad!" said Sherman.
Sherman is from Toronto, which is about 33 hours away from Spokane. He's married, has two daughters and is a chief executive of a pharmacy.
Sherman said he's there for the boys anytime.
"If nobody does come out there, I'd be happy to Skype with you and walk you through the drill," Sherman said.
The barbecue is scheduled for June 17 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.