WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Barbecue smoke, the crack of skateboard wheels on a halfpipe, live music in the late-summer air — and a mission that's as serious as it is inspiring.
This Friday, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Hanley Foundation's BBQ Hang will take over the National Croquet Center, located at 700 Florida Mango Road in West Palm Beach, for an evening of mouthwatering food, live bands, and action-packed skateboarding — all benefiting the Cory Bartle Memorial Fund.
For $35–$50 a ticket, kids 12 and younger are free, guests can savor a feast catered and donated by Sandy James Catering, enjoy music by Surfer Blood and School of Rock Boca Raton, take croquet lessons, bounce in a Jupiter Bounce inflatable, and even try skateboarding alongside World Skateboarding Champion Alessandro "Alex" Sorgente. Skateboard Pro Mike Rogers will be running clinics and a "best tricks" competition with prizes for riders of all levels.
A life remembered, a mission continued
The event honors Cory Joseph Bartle, a West Palm Beach chef known for his culinary creativity, passion for skateboarding, love of the outdoors, and generosity toward friends and family. Cory Bartle was working hard on his recovery when, in October 2022, an accidental overdose took his life at just 34.
In his honor, Cory Bartle’s family created the Cory Bartle Memorial Fund, administered by the Hanley Foundation, to provide lifesaving treatment scholarships for people with substance use disorders who otherwise wouldn’t have access to care. The fund also supports education initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of addiction and overdose.
"This is an opportunity for our friends in the skateboarding and culinary communities to come out and 'get on board' to support this critical cause," said James Bartle, Cory’s uncle, co-founder of Sandy James Catering, and chairman of the BBQ Hang. "It's heartbreaking that too many young people in our community fall victim to addiction, but we want anyone suffering to know that help is available."
Something for everyone
With croquet lessons in the Florida sunset, sizzling barbecue platters, skateboard stunts, and live rock sets, the BBQ Hang promises a little bit of everything — plus the knowledge that every bite, trick, and ticket directly helps someone on the road to recovery.
Tickets range from $35 to $50. Kids 12 and younger are free. To purchase, click here.
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