Aubree Skinner is shown with her dad Tim Tuell.
To the late Tim Tuell, there was nothing more fun that a good old fashioned cookout with family and friends, a sentiment that his daughter Aubree Skinner shares.
She keeps his legacy alive with an annual cookout at Sandy Hook United Methodist Church, where all proceeds go towards three charities.
This year’s event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 23 at the church, 1610 Taylor Road.
A lifelong member of Sandy Hook United Methodist Church, Skinner said her father contributed to the church by sitting on different boards, volunteering and helping with youth programming. He also donated to charities such as Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan’s Purse, Skinner said.
“I think it’s really important to note that my dad… he was just a service oriented (person), had a heart for service,” Skinner said. “Didn’t matter if it was something simplistic around the church that we just needed a team for or whatever…”
Tuell died from COVID-19 in August of 2021, but Skinner did not want his story to end there. She recalled how much her father loved barbecues and the cookouts they would host for the church in the ‘90s, where she and her family would sit out and grill all day long.
“So after he died, I was like, ‘this cannot just be the end of my dad, we have to hear his name, we have to continue to tell people about his legacy,’ and I was like, ‘come on, let’s just do a cookout. Let’s do a cookout and give to charities that my dad loved and my dad supported,’” Skinner said.
At the fourth annual Tim Tuell Benefit Cookout, all are welcome to burgers, hot dogs, chips and a drink for $5. Baked goods will also be available as part of a bake sale.
All proceeds from the event go towards Love Chapel, Beloved Bags and Reach Columbus, Inc. While Skinner said Tuell did not know of Beloved Bags and Reach Columbus, Inc., she said he would have loved what they do to support the community.
In their first couple years of running the cookout, Skinner said they donated to nationwide charities that he loved to participate in alongside local ones, but they have since pivoted to just local charities, which she said has felt much better.
“We thought that the impact would be felt much stronger right here in the town that he loved for his entire life,” Skinner said. “Not that the other two nationwide aren’t important, they’re vitally important, but they also get a lot of funds from different places all around the world and we have to support our local ventures.”
Skinner said they have raised around $17,000 for charity from the cookout throughout the years. She said they saw around 250 people at their first one, and this year, they are aiming for 150 to 200 people coming by.
From the cookout, Skinner said she hopes to present a big check to each charity as the end of the year to continue giving in her father’s name. She also hopes that people who knew Tuell come out as she wants to continue to hear stories of her father.
“And if you don’t know my dad, come for a cookout and leave blessed knowing that the money that you’re providing, that you’re giving for a really inexpensive meal on a beautiful day, is going to support really cool local ministries,” Skinner said.
If you go
What: Annual Tim Tuell Benefit Cookout
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 23
Where: Sandy Hook United Methodist Church, 1610 Taylor Rd., Columbus
How much: Barbecue items cost $5
