Biola’s Soaring Eagle food truck will be in service at the “Snow Day” youth outreach event this Saturday at Granada Heights Friends Church. The festival, hosted by the church, features sled runs on snow trucked in from the mountains, bounce houses and food from a selection of local food trucks. Soaring Eagle’s full menu will be offered, plus “a hotdog for the kiddos,” said Auxiliary Services operations manager Carolyn White.

“It’s just a fun way to reach out to all ages of the community,” said Duane Litz, junior high pastor for Granada Heights Friends. Litz anticipates that between 300 and 400 people will attend, including members of the congregation and the surrounding community. The all-day event is free for everyone and runs from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m, according to the church’s website.

"Snow Day" event put on for the La Mirada community

Several tons of snow will be trucked in and processed on-site, creating a hill large enough to sled down, according to Litz.

“A lot of the people in the local community don’t have the financial resources to get up to the mountains,” said Zoro Mer, Student Ministries Director for Granada Heights Friends, so they’ll be letting folks experience Christ and experience snow — right here in L.A. County.

“It’s not as big as you might expect, from that much snow,” he said about the hill. “But it’s mostly about the kids.”

The Soaring Eagle's first, but not last off-campus appearance

This will be the first off-campus engagement Soaring Eagle has been booked for — but likely not the last. Biola has interest in “[getting] Biola’s name out there,” White said, and Soaring Eagle’s appearance on the local food truck circuit is an easy way to get publicity for the university and its food service team. 

Students should not notice a change in the truck’s presence on campus during the week, however. The truck is available every morning until 11:55 a.m. at the Rancho Elementary satellite campus, at which point it relocates to Talbot East. Lunch is served from 12 p.m. until 2:25 p.m. Monday through Friday, and dinner offered from 4 p.m. until 6:55 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 

“The truck is for the Biola campus,” wrote Bon Appétit Biola’s general manager Steve Rall in an email. “The truck can only be booked for outside service on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.”

Biola staff, clubs and other groups can book the Soaring Eagle during the weekends through Bon Appétit’s catering department for on-campus engagements, as well.

“We will go off campus whenever possible, as long it does not conflict with normal business operation,” White said.