why i created the sacramento burger battle and why it ended

there is no official sacramento burger battle because covid is a mass disabling airborne virus that can spread even while outdoors. the pandemic is far from over. out of respect to the disabled, immunocompromised, and chronically ill humans that the burger battle was created to support, it makes sense to not have an event that could increase the spread of the virus.

during covid graph showing covid infections measured by wastewater data

• We’re still “during Covid”—the pandemic is not over. Millions of people continue to get infected every week, and millions are living with Long Covid, which has no treatment or cure.

• Covid is not “just a cold.” It’s a novel vascular disease that causes long term damage to many of the body’s systems in ways we’re only beginning to understand.

• Even if a person is lucky enough to have minimal symptoms during an acute infection, there is a risk of Long Covid, which can cause long-term or permanent disability (brain fog, POTS, ME-CFS, etc)

• You can get Covid more than once as new strains emerge. Each infection increases the chances of Long Covid.

• Many Covid infections are asymptomatic (without symptoms). You can transmit Covid to someone else without even knowing you have it. They might not be as lucky.

• The best thing you can do to protect yourself and other people is to keep up to date on vaccinations and to wear a well-fitted N95 mask when outside your home and around other people.

why folks still take covid precautions infographic

long covid infographic

MAY 2025 UPDATE: [article] The pandemic is still far from over

MAY 2025 UPDATE: [article] Covid isn’t over and we shouldn’t act like it

NIH.GOV PUBLISHED STUDY: Functional Disabilities and Adverse Well-being by COVID-19 and Long Covid

SEPTEMBER 2023 UPDATE: [article] We are not “post pandemic”. COVID is not over.

may 2025 updates from rodney blackwell, the creator of the original sacramento burger battle:

“…isn’t that why so many of us are here—to do the very hard work of tackling systemic issues in service to a more just and equitable world? Why are we ignoring something that has such widespread implications for our communities and movements?” —Miquette Thompson from her helpful article “Community care where? Nonprofit COVID-19 denial–The mass disabling elephant in the room“

NEW COVID wastewater update from Biobot: Looks like we are near the peak.

The historical data shows we are in the second-largest wave since the start of the pandemic.

Currently in the US, ~1 in 23 are infectious with COVID, and there are ~2 million new infections a day. pic.twitter.com/vbMugRBMaV

— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) January 9, 2024

filmed at bacon & butter in 2016 as part of a documentary by x7 productions.

Originally Posted September 18, 2020

8 years ago today, on national cheeseburger day, september 18, 2012, we launched the sacramento burger battle at raley field and i’ve been #sacramentoproud ever since.

but this event has always been about more than burgers for me.

this event was created from day one as a fundraiser for the crohn’s and colitis foundation.

my goal was to donate as much money to the crohn’s and colitis foundation so they could continue on their mission to find a cure for crohn’s disease.

i also wanted to showcase the amazing sacramento restaurants that put out amazing burgers all year long to finally answer that question, where’s the BEST burger in sacramento.

i have 3 daughters and the oldest has crohn’s disease. it’s difficult to feel helpless as a parent, and maybe this event was my way of coping with that uncertainty.

that’s where my energy has been since this event launched. i gave this event my all. every penny raised has been donated to the foundation.

on march 23, 2020, i sent an email to the foundation saying the burger battle didn’t look realistic this year. it was only week 2 of the state of california ordering shelter in place due to the growing worldwide pandemic, but with all the restaurants being forced to close it seemed clear to me that the situation was not under control.

my kids’ school district shut down the first week in march and my oldest daughter is part of that “vulnerable population most affected by covid” you keep hearing about. so we researched not only what was happening in the us, but also what was happening globally, including what worked and what was not working. since then, i feel like i’ve been in mourning for loss of an event that meant so much to me and my family. to many of you it was just burgers, but to me it always meant so much more.

i wish i had a better outlook on the situation, but there does not seem to be any coordinated effort by the federal government or banks to help workers, restaurants or most american citizens at this time, the future of the sacramento burger battle event is uncertain, but there will definitely be more to come from yours truly :)

thank you to my wife and family for your support.

thank you to natalie, megan, lori, jeremy, jenna, susan, kristie, ann marie, corinne, daniel, and the whole burger battle planning committee. thank you to rachel, christina, greg, paul, jeremy, lisa, rick, jess, olga & danny, amber & billy, all the volunteers, the barsotti family, lagunitas, all the judges and every sacramento restaurant, chef, diner, sponsor, creative, blogger, journalist, and any other folx who supported this event over the years. we did a thing. cheers to whatever’s next. -rodney

january 2024 updates from rodney blackwell, the creator of the sacramento burger battle: