Stage House Tavern general manager Donald Erickson behind the grill during the restaurant’s inaugural “Fallen Heroes” fundraising barbecue.

The Stage House Tavern on Sept. 5 hosted a barbecue fundraiser to honor the “fallen heroes” of the country’s military and first responders.

The event, in its inaugural year, directly benefited the John Basilone Memorial Foundation and the Bristol Myers-Squib Childrens’ Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, said Donald Erickson, the Amwell Road restaurant’s head chef and general manager.

“We believe in supporting vets here at the Stage House,” he said. The Basilone foundation, he said, “is a great foundation.”

On the menu – all complimentary – were hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage sandwiches.

Also offered at the more than 6-hour event were raffles and live music.

Kim Vannote and Don Tozzi pose by a portrait of John Basilone at the Stage House “Fallen Heroes” barbecue fundraiser.

Kim Vannote, co-founder of the Basilone foundation, said the Stage House event was “amazing.”

“We are so grateful to the Stage House for doing this for us,” she said.

“We can’t thank him enough,” said Don Tozzi, who also co-founded the foundation. “This has been head-over-heels a great event.”

The major beneficiaries of the Basilone Foundation are the Fisher House Foundation and the Steeple Chase Cancer Center in Somerville.

Vannote said the organization does about eight fundraisers each year.

The next fundraiser, she said, will be held on Sept. 11 at TD Bank Ballpark during a Somerset Patriots baseball game.