The entire Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes family is feeling both grateful and inspired after participating in this year’s Fred Hutch Obliteride, a non profit event featuring a bike ride and a 5k walk/run to raise funds for the Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Our History with Obliteride
Supporting this event is undoubtedly one of the highlights of our year. We’re thrilled to see how our partnership with Obliteride has evolved over time—from our beginning years serving bikers at the end of their long rides on Saturday and Sunday, to now catering the Friday night opening party. It’s a joy to help kick off such an amazing weekend for a great cause, and it’s an honor to cater an event that contributes to cancer research.
Abi Haggerty shares, “It’s so exciting to be back at this event, especially since I haven’t worked it since before 2020. I love the shift to the Friday night party where we get to see all the eager bikers before the race begins! This year, we had a blast incorporating bike-themed decor. Building on the bike parts Matt used last year, we created a bike tire wall, decorated more than five bikes with flowers, and used unique felt flags as menu signs and banners. The vibrant colors, bike parts, and orange linens really brought the tent to life! I especially enjoyed searching through bike parts with Matt at BikeWorks Seattle to find the perfect decor elements.”
Menu Spotlight
Choosing our favorite dishes from this year’s Friday night opening party is no easy task, given the many standouts! Among them, our Teriyaki Tofu and Mushroom Kabobs were a particular highlight. Our talented chefs dedicated hours to perfecting thousands of these kabobs before the event. They were not only visually stunning but also intentionally crafted, delicious, and a true labor of love. To this day, Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes serves the best tofu I’ve ever tasted, and we were thrilled to share it with the bikers and their communities!
In addition to the skewers, the Chili Lime Grilled Chicken Breast with Strawberry Mint Salsa was a hit at this year’s kickoff party, and one of my favorite summertime dishes. Some people might hear “strawberry and mint” with “salsa” and get a funny look on their face, only to be pleasantly surprised by the burst of flavor it adds to the dish. The chef team was behind the scenes at Gas Works Park grilling hundreds of pounds of chicken for the bikers–it doesn’t get fresher than that.
We served around 3,500 people this year, and with a little over 4,000 expected, our food quantities were just about right! This is something we work hard to streamline year after year, especially with an event this size. Our team is dedicated to minimizing food waste, and this year, our chef team excelled in ensuring our quantities were as precise as possible. Plus, when you're feeding hungry bikers, you can count on BIG eaters.
One of my favorite aspects of the event is managing guests as they enter the buffet tent using our “clickers” positioned at each side of the tent where lines form. Each time a guest enters, our team members click to track attendance, helping us monitor guest counts and ensure we have enough food to feed the masses!
One Brilliant Team
Adam Purkey, our Business Development and Event Manager reveals, “Obliteride is one of the events we circle on our calendars every year, not only because we’re feeding thousands of hungry riders (which requires a fair bit of planning) but because we’re so excited to be back each year! Seeing Gas Works Park transform into the Obliteride home base is something to behold, and watching the participants and their families come through to support such a wonderful cause at the opening party is a cornerstone of our summer. We’re thrilled to partner with Fred Hutch and the Obliteride team to make the experience better for everyone each year!”
One of our core philosophies is teamwork, which comes into play at all of our events, but especially at one of this magnitude. We had over 60 team members participating at this event to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible.
At one point, we faced a brief moment of panic when we started running low on propane. Chef Zach noticed the issue and said, “I think these grills are burning through the propane too quickly. I need more to finish grilling this chicken!” Without missing a beat, owners David and Meg Haggerty jumped into their truck to get refills. Upon their return, several team members, including Event Manager Adam Purkey, had grabbed tanks and trekked hundreds of yards back to the tent to keep the grilling going. Amid the sweat and laughter (and thankfully no blood or tears), the positive attitude and teamwork of our incredible staff made it all possible.
We are already looking forward to next year’s Obliteride event and are excited to see this organization continue to grow and raise even more funds for cancer research. Our team plans to further refine our execution with fun and innovative methods to ensure that guests move quickly through the line while enjoying exceptional food. The Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes team is incredibly grateful to work alongside organizations like Fred Hutch and cannot wait for Obliteride 2025!
Check out the action in our Instagram reel recapping the day’s activities!
