MIDWEST CITY, OK -- (Marketwired) -- 09/19/16

The nation's largest Professional BBQ Tour will stop in Midwest City this Saturday and give 30 pitmasters a chance at the biggest cash prize in competition barbeque. Hosted by the Sam's Club on 6521 SE 29th Street, the event is open to the public and also features free samples for attendees.

This is the last chance for any team in the nation to qualify for a spot at the Championship next weekend. The top 10 performing teams will advance to the Pro BBQ National Championship in Bentonville, AR just one week later, where they'll have a chance at winning part of a $150,000 prize purse.

"This is smokin' hot stuff," said Michael McDearman, the series director & award-winning pitmaster. "Besides getting to sample great food at no charge, BBQ lovers can meet some of the most successful BBQ pitmasters in the world at this event."

The event will be packed with excitement for competing teams and will give Midwest City BBQ lovers up close access to a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contest in action. McDearman will offer samples of quality products to all event attendees while demonstrating grilling tips & techniques. The public is encouraged to attend from 10am to 3pm.

This is the sixth annual Pro BBQ Tour, the largest in America with $500,000 up for grabs, and it gives backyard barbeque enthusiasts front row seats to the sights and smells of championship pitmasters. The Midwest City event features a $20,000 prize purse, which will be awarded to teams in four different categories: chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.

The Midwest City event is sanctioned by KCBS, the world's largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts. It is the last of 5 regional qualifying events for a chance to compete at the National BBQ Tour Championship on October 1 at the Sam's Club headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. More than 700 teams competed in the series this year.

"This tour shows the true American barbeque style of cooking that stretches all over the country -- from coast to coast, border to border," said McDearman.

The Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is sponsored by Bush's®, Cargill™, KC Masterpiece®, Kingsford®, the National Pork Board, New Zealand Lamb, Reser's® Fine Foods, Sweet Baby Rays®, Tone's®, Tyson®, and Wright® Brand Bacon and updated information about the tour can always be found at www.kcbs.us/samstour.

About Sam's Club®

Sam's Club®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in 652 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 The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)

A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque, KCBS celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016. KCBS serves more than 20,000 active members and sanctions more than 450 barbeque contests worldwide. For more information, visit www.KCBS.us.

MMA Creative
Torrey Feldman
torrey@mmacreative.com
(615) 297-6886