Dozens respond to Craigslist ad seeking ‘generic father figure’ for barbecue, but group only wants Bill Murray

Turns out there are many men willing to stand around a grill surrounded by strangers for free food and beer.

A group of 20-somethings in Spokane has received more than 100 emails, phone calls and Facebook messages after a Craigslist ad last week seeking a “generic father figure” for their barbecue went viral.

One man in Montana offered to bring the equivalent of one whole cow in beef as well as five kegs. Father figures hailing from everywhere from Virginia to Germany have sent in selfies and resumes vying for the position.

“You’ve gotta respect those fathers,” said Dane Anderson, who wrote the ad.

But now the group is saying all those prospective barbecue dads likely will be rejected. Anderson said Monday they won’t accept anything less than their dream barbecue dad: actor Bill Murray.

Anderson, an Eastern Washington University student, and his friends, a coed group they call “The Boys,” were planning an end-of-the-year barbecue and thought it would be funny to create a Craigslist ad to find a father figure to handle the grilling.

The post went viral, garnering attention from regional and major media outlets like the Huffington Post, Daily Mail and the Miami Herald.

The date of the party is set for June 17, but they might cancel if they don’t get any response from the actor.

Anderson said he grew up watching “Ghostbusters” and felt a strong connection to Murray through his films.

Some of the real fathers of “The Boys” may attend now that the post has received so much media attention. They weren’t initially invited to the barbecue because many of them live far away, and the quintessential barbecue dad comes with no strings attached, said Travis Rybarski, a member of The Boys who is acting as the group’s “press secretary.”

“Even our own dads will never be the perfect barbecue dad because that’s Bill Murray,” Rybarski said.