GLADSTONE — The first Fire on the Mountain head-to-head barbecue competition and fundraiser has been set for Sunday, Aug. 7, at the John and Melissa Besse Sports Park ski chalet, 900 N. Bluff Drive in Gladstone.

The event is a partnership between the City of Gladstone Parks and Recreation and organizers at three local institutions: Hiawatha National Forest, Upper Hand Brewery, and Common Coast Research and Conservation.

The competitors include Paul Holeva, recreation and lands manager for Hiawatha National Forest, and Sam Reese, director of Escanaba-based Upper Hand Brewery.

All of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Common Coast, a non-profit co-founded by Delta County resident Joe Kaplan, and their Peninsula Point Habitat Improvement Project, which is replanting native shrubs and grasses at the tip of the Stonington Peninsula to preserve the lighthouse site as a critical migratory pathway for birds and butterflies.

“Fire on the Mountain is the perfect combination of our organizers’ mutual interests for the benefit of our community,” event organizer Sam Reese said. “Paul is the BBQ pro and the proprietor of Bearded Lady Creations, his catering business. I’m an avid home cook and I have experience working with the City of Gladstone to organize events through my role at the brewery. And Joe is our mutual friend and a recognized conservator of public lands. His project on Stonington restoring national forestlands just ties it all together.”

“We wanted to keep the inaugural event very simple,” added Paul Holeva. “Folks can expect a bellyful of barbecue, a little friendly rivalry, some live local music, and the best view in Delta County. All on a summer Sunday for only $25. It’s going to be a great time for a great cause.”

Pre-sale tickets and commemorative T-shirts are $25 and currently on sale via the event website: www.fireonthemountainbbq.com. Attendance is limited to 200 persons; additional tickets and merchandise will not be available for sale on the date of the event.

For more information, go to www.fireonthemountainbbq.com or email fireonthemountainbbq@gmail.com.