CAROLINA BEACH — It’s that time of the year when the weather is warming up and its time to fire up the grill — it’s also time for the 8th annual Step Up for Soldiers Backyard BBQ Cook-off.
This weekend at Carolina Beach you can enjoy all the festivities at the Carolina Beach Lake where 15 different competitors will show off their barbecuing skills.
Tom Russell founded Step Up for Soldiers in 2004 as a group to help disabled returning soldiers with mobility problems.
What started off as a mission to build wheelchair ramps for two local National Guard soldiers who had lost their legs while serving has grown into a multi-faceted nonprofit organization.
The Backyard BBQ Cookoff is just one of several events put on by the group, others include the annual chili cook-off as well as a Combat Mud Run.
Gates open at 10 a.m. and tasting of the barbecue begins at 11 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m. while supplies last.
There will also be live music and other activities during the event.
