Exchange Partners With Traeger, Others to Feed More Than 1,000 Soldiers at Barbecue Dinner in Poland

A delicious Exchange tradition started in Iraq five years ago continued for Soldiers in Poland last month when the Exchange partnered with Traeger Grills to host a Patriots’ Day barbecue at Powidz Air Base.

Traeger donated 25 grills and brought their professional chef team to prepare a smoke’n barbecue dinner for more than 1,000 Soldiers and community members.

“The efforts that the Exchange team went through to organize this event for the Soldiers were greatly appreciated as a community-building event,” said Grafenwoehr Consolidated Exchange General Manager Brian Smith, who helped coordinate the first Traeger grilling event with the Exchange in Iraq in 2018. “This is a great way for the Powidz community and the military community to integrate.”

“This is a great way for the Powidz community and the military community to integrate,” said Grafenwoehr Consolidated Exchange General Manager Brian Smith, who also helped coordinate the first Traeger grilling event with the Exchange in Iraq in 2018.

Smith’s team, including retail business manager Adriana Piechalak and visual merchandiser Chris Litch, helped organize the logistics, travel, storage, gathering equipment and advertising for the event, while many vendors lent their support. The Exchange’s Germersheim Distribution Center was instrumental in transporting the grills and over $5,300 of meat products to the site. Red Bull, Vita Coco, Perrier and Granini provided cold refreshments, while the USO and Defense Commissary Agency worked with Germersheim to purchase the meat and other food products. Red Bull also brought an F1 racecar simulator that participants could drive on a simulated racetrack, with help from Military Autosource. Sandpiper of California and Paragon Outdoor organized tactical prizes and giveaways. Soundboks donated two sound systems to play music for the event.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the Commanding General of the 3^rd Infantry Division; and Maj. Gen. David S. Doyle, the Commanding General of the 4^th Infantry Division made appearances at the barbecue and reported the event to Lt. Gen. John S. Kolasheski, the V Corps Commander, who thanked the Exchange team for the commitment to the troops.

“The military leaders were very grateful to the Exchange for helping make this special day happen for the troops,” Smith said. “They were very pleased and impressed with the collaboration among so many support teams.”

The Exchange has teamed up with Traeger for similar events in the past in deployment hot spots like Kuwait and Iraq. Another grilling event is planned for Romania in the spring, as well as continued annual events at various downrange Exchange locations.

“This is a great morale boost for the Soldiers here,” Smith said. “We’re continuing the Exchange tradition of serving those who serve.”

Members of the Poland Exchange team that helped organize the barbecue event: Front row, from left, retail business manager Adriana Piechalak and Supervisor Justyna Rzewnis. Back row, from left: Lukas Kiestrzynski, Supervisor; Brian Smith, General Manager; Norbert Zamiatala, Store Manager; Tomasz Lasowski, Supervisor; Jakub Szykowny, rodeo driver;  Krzysztof Okupniarek, cashier.