(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. - Nothing says the Fourth of July like hot dogs. A Medical Lake couple continued a popular and very unique tradition. They’ve been handing out hot dogs for six years but they don’t do it on dry land, they do it by boat.
It's a decorated boat out on Silver Lake that you just can't miss. "We just thought it would draw people to the boat," said Cindy Austin.
Dave and Cindy Austin deck out their boat every year on Silver Lake. They say it takes about two to three hours to deliver hot dogs around the lake to the community. They have got the system down with the help of their friends. They grill hot dogs on land, transport them in a pot onto the boat and when they run out, they come back and pick up more hot dogs. They've got all the fixings too.
They have a little red, white, and blue wooden paddle they made to put hot dogs on so they can reach out to the crowds of people on the docks that wait for them to come. "The kids love it and the parents like it. We've had other people come over from other parts of the state just to visit their friends so we can hand them out hot dogs on this day," said Dave.
The Austin’s say, some will even come running from their houses. "It's so fun to see the kids," said Cindy.
Last year, the Austin’s handed out more than 200 hot dogs. It's a delicious tradition they'll continue.
It's every Fourth of July and the Austin's say they typically go around on their boat at noon to drop off the hot dogs. They say people have gotten to know them through the years that some of the kids will even give them cookies in return.