The tickets for the annual Rock ‘N’ Ribs and Rib-Off event, put on by the Blackbelt Benefit Group, are officially ready for purchase. 

Tickets went on sale last week and are available online at www.blackbeltbenefitgroup.org for the event scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at Lions Fair Park.

The annual rib event is known for benefiting different local charities and organizations, and this year is no different.

“All the money raised is going to go towards the community garden,” said Clay Carmichael with the Blackbelt Benefit Group and Grow Selma. “Our main goal is to make sure Grow Selma succeeds.”

The community garden is set up to help the people of Selma work together and learn while also growing local healthy food.

“We’re trying to benefit the community by doing it with healthy food. There’s not enough access to healthy food in this area,” Carmichael said. “So by doing this, we’re going to make healthy food cheaper.”

Carmichael said the garden is significant for the food, but that’s not the only reason it’s vital for the community.

“It’s not necessarily the community garden that’s the important part, as much as it is the community part of it,” Carmichael said. “[It’s good] getting people to plant food and learn about healthy food.”

The garden, located at the intersection of Jackson Street and Morgan Avenue, is set to have its first volunteer work day Saturday, Feb. 7 starting at 8 a.m.

“We’re hoping to improve the overall food situation and the health situation in this area,” Carmichael said.

The tickets for the event are $10 for the Rib-Off, $20 for the Rock’n’ Ribs or $25 for both.