The 16th annual Daytime Stars and Strikes for Autism event will look a bit different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it's full speed ahead with a huge show of support from Guiding Light family members.
The annual GL fan event will be held online via The Locher Room, and it has a theme: a virtual Bauer Barbeque! The special event is set to be a forum to share stories and answer fan questions, with participating actors including:
Grant Aleksander (Phillip Spaulding), Orlagh Cassidy (Doris Wolfe), Beth Chamberlin (Beth Raines), Crystal Chappell (Olivia Spencer), Frank Dicopoulos (Frank Cooper), Maureen Garrett (Holly Norris), Melissa Hayden (Bridget Reardon), Morgan Englund (Dylan Lewis), Amelia Marshall (Gilly Grant), Robert Newman (Joshua Lewis), Denise Pence (Katie Parker), Nancy St. Alban (Michelle Bauer), Jennifer Roszell (Eleni Andros), Elvera Roussel (Hope Bauer), Tina Sloan (Lillian Raines), Paul Anthony Stewart (Danny Santos), Krista Tesreau (Mindy Lewis), Gina Tognoni (Dinah Marler), Lawrence Saint-Victor (Remy Boudreau), Jordi Vilasuso (Tony Santos), Yvonna Kopacz Wright (Mel Boudreau), and Kim Zimmer (Reva Shayne).
The Bauer BBQ event aims to raise funds and awareness to help those on the autism spectrum. All donations go to the Autism Society of America. To learn more and to make a tax-free donation, visit the Daytime Stars and Strikes website. Donations can also be made during the live broadcast, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at 6PM EST, and can be seen here and below.
The annual Fourth of July Bauer Barbecue became a Guiding Light staple in the 1980s and quickly became one of the most popular episodes of the year. During the final on-air BBQ, Rick (Michael O'Leary) summed up the event's special nature: "I look across your faces, and I realize that I'm one of the grownups now. It just seems like yesterday that I was just a little kid sitting on that diving board eating my grandma's chocolate chip cookie. I couldn't help but think about my Grandma Bert [Charita Bauer] today. She was a great lady. Real special. And not just because she loved her grandson but because she came up with this, this celebration with family and friends. She used to tell me, 'Rick, we live in a great town, in a great state, and an even greater nation. And we're all very blessed to live in a country that upholds freedom and liberty.' And she's right. And I miss her. And it's not quite the same without her. But she leaves this wonderful legacy behind, and I feel very blessed."
What do you think about this year's Daytime Stars and Strikes being a virtual Bauer Barbeque? What are some of your favorite memories from GL's annual Bauer BBQ? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
