On, Friday as Mike Weaver, owner of Carolina Bar-B-Que Company, was preparing the final pieces for a large meal, the customer who placed the order said they no longer wanted it. The customers had mentioned to Weaver that they saw the Blue Lives Matter flag hanging outside the restaurant.
Weaver, who spoke to The Outer Banks Voice, said the flag was hung to "memorialize police officers who have died." The owner later took to Facebook, explaining how he would have to start a new policy where customers he didn't know would have to pay upfront on takeout orders.
After the incident, Weaver quickly took to Facebook again. On July 16, he announced he was starting a "Feed the Blue Free Fundraiser" page on GoFundMe.
According to Weaver, many relatives in the family tree have been in law enforcement. "I like to be apolitical, basically," but supporting police and first responders "is a driving force that's always been inside my heart," Weaver said.
Weaver's Facebook post about the unpaid meal subsequently went viral, along with the word to provide meals for police and first responders. "Basically, it clicked and went viral," Weaver added. People then began writing checks, and one person even wrote a check for several thousands of dollars.
On July 10, he stated that he had collected $8,000 for his "Feed the Blue Free Fundraiser." The money, he explained, would be put into an account that would offer free barbeque to police, first responders, paramedics, and correctional officers. To increase awareness, he later made an announcement stating, "please make sure to let us know that you are Police, Fire, EMS, and Military so that we can make sure you are fed and taken care of."
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