When Scott Allen and Keith Tyler bought the Bon Air Shell Station, they were thinking about repairing cars and selling gas.

The strategic location at 8762 W. Huguenot Road, between Sneed’s Nursery and the old Stony Point Shopping Center, near where the Huguenot Bridge and the Willey Bridge empty onto Huguenot Road, seemed a good place to attract motorists in need.

Things change, however. After cancer took Scott’s sister, Lee Allen Deane, in 2004 and his father, John Wall Allen, in 2006, Scott was looking for a way to raise money to benefit the American Cancer Society for Lee’s Scouts, the Relay For Life Team formed in his sister’s memory by Pat Collins, a Boy Scout leader who worked with Lee.

He cleaned up the gas and oil spills, rolled in a barbecue cooker for chicken and ribs and tempted his customers to refuel themselves as well as their cars. He hung a 6’ by 4’ banner displaying the American Cancer Society emblem.

Red and yellow and black and white triangular flags fluttered in the wind as the smell of chicken with mesquite on its breath wafted through the air.

First came four firemen from next door, then a man who ate an entire rack of ribs while awaiting service on his car.

“I highly recommend the ribs,” said the man, waving as he drove away.

The mechanic said to the next customer, “I hope yours last longer than his did.”

People began to gather. An eighth grade Latin teacher was reunited with parents of students she had taught more than a decade ago.

A Relay for Life team member came to introduce the team’s newest member, her six-months-old daughter. A customer who had just moved to Virginia from New Jersey provided potato salad. Old and new customers, people on the way to the river, some after reading an article in the newspaper, folks just passing by-- all created a steady stream of customers.

Also for sale were raffle tickets for items to be awarded at Powhatan’s May 30 Relay for Life event, a cookbook with a special section of animal recipes in memory of Lee Deane, a veterinarian’s assistant and a wildlife rehabilitator, and a children’s book, The Adventures of Captain Cure, which won a First Place Award from Virginia Press Women in March. Captain Cure, a rescued stuffed dog who became a super hero, was on hand as was the author, Frances Crutchfield. 

Joanne Kithcart; Scott’s mother, Betsy Jane Allen; Scott’s nephews, almost-Eagle-Scout Layton, 16, and nearly-Second-Class Scout Cory, 12, dished up racks of ribs and rib dinners and chicken dinners. By 11:30 a.m. all the ribs were gone, and by 1:30 p.m., there was no more chicken.

Customers were turned away with the promise that Scott would be cooking for a cure again May 17.

Come early for ribs. Don’t miss it.