By Kalin Krohe, Panhandle Post
Chadron Ace Hardware will be holding a "Blackstone Battle" grilling contest on Sept. 19 at 4 p.m.
Participants can compete for the title of Chadron Griddle Master. All entries are free.
"What the premise is, it's just like a community event," Chadron Ace Hardware Sales and Marketing Manager Jordan Mak said. "This last couple years has been kind of a drag for everybody so we're trying to do something really nice for the community. All the food is going to be provided for people to cook. We're trying to do a judging competition. People will come in with their own Blackstone [griddle], cook the food that we provided for them and then people can dictate who wins."
Mak said the only thing people will have to pay for is beverages from Fryday's 120 beer garden. The band Blue Street will also be performing for the event.
Panhandle Post asked Mak how Chadron Ace Hardware came up with this idea.
"We sell a lot of the Traeger grills and a lot of the Blackstone," Mak said. "We've been wanting to do something with grilling because that's one of the biggest things that we do here. We do cookouts every Friday. It was just something to try to get more people involved in the Blackstones around here."
Proceeds from the event will go to charity in the Chadron community.
"The winner gets to choose where the money goes," Mak said. "Say we raise $200 or whatever, Ace will then match it and then the winner gets to decide where it goes to."
The 1st place winner will win their money back on the griddle.
"I hope it brings everyone closer together and allows us to grow as a company as well...gaining more foothold in the community...allowing people to see that we're trying to help out everybody we can especially during these difficult times," Mak said.
Panhandle Post asked Mak what his favorite things are to grill.
"On the Traeger it's definitely got to be a nice spiral ham," Mak said. "On a Blackstone it's actually popcorn, caramelized chocolate popcorn."
To enter the competition call (308) 432-3914 and ask for Jordan or Ken.
