Honda Power Equipment Partners with Operation BBQ Relief to Power Emergency Services

April 19, 2013

Honda Power Equipment, a division of American Honda Motor Co. and marketer of a complete range of outdoor power equipment, last week announced a new relationship with the Operation BBQ Relief in which it will provide two of its Super Quiet Series portable generator models – the EU6500iS and EU3000iS.  

The mission of Operation BBQ Relief is to provide compassion and offer hope and friendship to people whose lives have been affected by natural disasters across the United States through its expertise in cooking and catering barbecue meals and its ability to quickly mobilize teams into any area where nature disrupts American lives. 

The Honda generators will power two disaster deployment trailers and one barbecue trailer used by Operation BBQ Relief to prepare and serve meals as well as provide comfort stations for volunteers and those displaced in disaster zones. Operation BBQ Relief will operate the generators on trailers, allowing them to be deployed rapidly to disaster areas anywhere in the country.  Honda Power Equipment service representatives also will advise Operation BBQ Relief on proper installation and use of the generators.

“Our new relationship with Operation BBQ Relief is powerful on a number of levels,” said Scott Conner, senior vice president, Honda Power Equipment. “First and foremost, this relationship provides Honda Power Equipment an opportunity help support those in their time of need. It also supports our fundamental strategy of assisting people who have a demand for portable power in a wide range of emergency, professional and recreational situations. Honda Power Equipment welcomes the opportunity to work with such a dynamic and compassionate organization.” 

The Honda EU6500iS provides 6,500 watts of backup power and is well suited to RVs, outdoor events, home back-up, and more. It can provide up to 14 hours of power on 4.5 gallons of fuel. The compact, 3,000-watt Honda EU3000iS, is small, quiet and capable of starting and running most modern 13,500-BTU recreational vehicle air conditioners as well as powering additional appliances in an RV. This model also doubles as a home back-up unit to selectively power a furnace, refrigerator, microwave, TV, hair dryer, and several lights.

“We are excited to partner with Honda for our power needs,” said Stan Hays, co-founder and executive director, Operation BBQ Relief. “This partnership allows us to mobilize our trailers knowing that we will have the power required to help those in need of warm meals when disaster strikes.”          

Honda Power Equipment markets a complete range of outdoor power equipment, including outboard marine engines, general purpose engines, generators, lawnmowers, pumps, snowblowers, tillers and trimmers for commercial, rental and residential applications.

Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation founded in May 2011 in response to a need for relief efforts in tornado-stricken Joplin, Mo., where a massive multi-vortex EF5 tornado struck a community of nearly 50,000 residents. Working from the middle of an empty parking lot, OBR volunteers cooked and served 120,000 meals to tornado survivors and rescue workers for 11 days. The Joplin operation became a model for how the organization would work during other disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and floods.  Since May 23, 2011, Operation BBQ Relief has served more than 311,000 meals.

More information on Operation BBQ Relief is available at www.operationbbqrelief.org.