Grill Your Ace Off

I'm not a food blogger, but I like to eat. I also like to support worthy causes. And where better to do it than...the parking lot of my local Ace Hardware? Yes indeedy, last weekend Clay's Ace Hardware in Fort Collins hosted a "Grill Your Ace Off" competition to benefit the Homelessness Prevention Initiative.

Clay's and a handful of restaurants put their grill skills to the test, and I don't mean with the run-of-the-mill hot dogs and brats, either. Nope, we're talking ribs, shrimp, salmon, pork tenderloin...and even peanut-butter-stuffed jalapenos with mango chutney. (Interesting combination, that.) 

The samples were free; casting a vote for the best cost a dollar. No kidding. We sampled from everyone, and we voted for everyone. It was too hard to choose a favorite, as it was all good food for a good cause. I hope it was successful enough that they will want to do it again.

About the Homelessness Prevention Initiative:
"Founded in 2001, the Homelessness Prevention Initiative provides rental assistance to members of our community who face the loss of their housing through unforeseen emergencies. For those who earn a marginal income or work in service sector jobs, homelessness is just one rent payment away. When work hours are reduced, when a job is lost or a child requires expensive emergency care, making that rent payment may not be possible."