HGTV: The Good Life from Hecky Powell on Vimeo.

Most of you know that Hecky is the guy who owns Hecky's World Famous Barbecue in Evanston , Illinois - and that he produces some of the finest ribs, chicken and barbecue sauce in the Nation - Indeed, IT'S THE SAUCE!

But there is a lot more to know about Hecky!! He is something of a legend in Evanston , the town in which he, and his eight brothers and sisters, were raised.

His Creole mother comes from New Orleans , and Hecky grew up with those wonderful creole recipes which he now draws on for his barbecue business.

Hecky opened Hecky's Barbecue on the corner of Greenbay and Emerson in 1983, with only $100 in his pocket to put into the business! But the quality of the food and Hecky's outgoing, enterprising personality took hold, and today Hecky's is known throughout the United States and beyond! Many food critics and plain old citizens have often pronounced his food the "best barbecue anywhere!"

But what you may not have known about Hecky is his ongoing fight against injustice, and his generosity in helping others. These passions have led him from his school days where he fought to see that blacks were hired as teachers, to naming the local community center after Evanston's two black aldermenn (Fleetwood and Jourdain), to founding a non-profit agency called GRASP, committed to helping adults become literate, to becoming the strong executive director of Neighbors at Work, a large local agency that helps the disadvantaged in numerous ways and building that budget to 10 times what it was when he took over, in addition to putting the agency "on the map" by making it become a fierce advocate for minority rights.

Along the way Hecky has always been an outspoken, colorful advocate for the needs he has seen in Evanston , and has served on several boards, including his present elected office of School Board Member for Evanston 's District 65 elementary schools.

There is hardly a cause that Hecky hasn't personally supported He's especially known for his more than generous support of Evanston 's many Little League teams over the years - there's hardly a kid in Evanston that hasn't worn a uniform supplied by Hecky!

After the death of his beloved father, Hecky put together a non-profit foundation in his father's name: The Forrest E. Powell Foundation. Every year this foundation supports the work ethic, which was so strong in his hard-working father, by giving scholarships to support deserving youth going into various careers, and by giving grants to groups that provide job- training for low-income individuals.

Hecky has been busy! But he's always good spirited and full of energy and creativity! Take a look at the good life video done by home and garden.