Brookhaven Hog Wild Barbeque Cook Off and Family Festival begins today in downtown Brookhaven. The two-day event supports local firefighters and autism and Alzheimer’s research, and runs from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

It costs $6,500 to outfit a single volunteer firefighter every year.

Lincoln County Volunteer Firefighters will be among the vendors, selling drinks, pulled pork sandwiches and nachos, pulled pork plates and ribeye steak plates.

Raffle tickets will be sold for a Pit Boss PB1230BL wood pellet and gas combo grill — $5 each or six for $20.

Friday at 6 p.m. is the Kid’s Q burger contest, open to kids’ teams ages 6 to 16. The SCA Steak Cook-Off is also Friday, with chicken wing entries and steak entries at 6:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. Kids can win cash and prizes, and the steak contest total payout is $2,400.

The Kansas City Barbecue Society contest is Saturday — chicken at noon, pork ribs at 12:30 p.m., pork at 1 p.m. and brisket at 1:30. Thirty-seven teams will be competing in the barbecue cook-off competition. Each team will be supplied a Boston Butt to cook and submit by 9 a.m. Saturday. Total payout of prizes for the KCBS contest is $9,000.

“Please come out and support autism and Alzheimer’s research and these fire departments,” said organizer and Brookhaven firefighter Mark Porter.