Local teams battle for chili crown, help hungry
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 25, 2015 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Kevin Grundmeier, left, serves up a bowl of chili as Krewe da Chili teammate Glenna Eckenrod tastes a sample during the Community Soup Kitchen's ninth annual Really Chili Challenge Saturday morning.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
The Community Soup Kitchen's ninth annual Really Chili Challenge featured 19 teams serving up a variety of chili styles. Immediate Care's Dr. Chili's Germ Kicking Chili won first place and Cornerstone Church received the People's Choice Award for raising the most money.
"I'm going as far as my stomach will take me," Alexander McCall said as he polished off his first cup of chili. "And anything I can get out of my pocket I am going to donate. It is a good cause."
McCall was among the hundreds downtown Saturday ready to sample all the chili they could eat, even at the expense of stomach issues later, to support the Community Soup Kitchen's annual Really Chili Challenge.
McCall said it was the first time he had attended the event, but that the Soup Kitchen is a worthy cause.
"It is great man, great," he said. "The chili is good. I am about to get filled up on the first one. It was real spicy. I like it kind of spicy but not so spicy where I have got to have something to drink behind it. But I do like it spicy."
The ninth annual event featured 19 teams vying for honors for the best chili as well as for the best booth.
The T.A. Loving Co. Chili Knights booth based on medieval knights and castle won first place. The News-Argus Insta-Chili booth, a takeoff on Instagram, was second and the Jeffreys Distributors' Mardi Claws was third. The Wednesday Night Crew received honor able mention.
Immediate Care won first place in the chili competition followed by First Presbyterian in second and Waynesborough Kiwanis in third.
Cornerstone Church received the People's Choice Award for raising the most money, approximately $1,100. The award indicates the chili the people came back to most for second or third helpings -- a way to collect money by votes.
People paid $5 to enter the area and could then walk around sample all of the different recipes.
Jeff Pitta, a physician assistant at Intermediate Care for 16 years, was the cook for the team's Dr. Chili's Germ Kicking Chili. He claimed his second first-place finish. He has also two second-place and two third-place wins.
"I didn't place my first year and I didn't place another time, but it has been a great time," he said. "What can you say it is all for the chili cook-off. I use the same recipe year after year, don't change anything. We just have a great time. We never accept the money. We always turn that back to the Soup Kitchen because that is what this is about.
"We couldn't ask for a better day. I think it is more crowded that I have ever seen. It is great. Even right at 11 it seemed like it was packed, usually it is 12 or 1 before it gets back like it has been today."
Pitta said he will be back next year.
Charles Gaylor IV has been a judge for several of the competition, but this year was enjoying just walking around and sampling the chili.
"It gets better every year, it really does," Gaylor said. "When you are judging you have to sit there and eat controlled amounts. But when you are walking around you really don't have that limitation on you.
"It is a great crowd. It is wonderful to see people coming out. We finally have asphalt back on Center Street so we have even more people and more parking. It is a wonderful situation. Every single stand has a line of people right now. You can't ask for more."
Soup Kitchen Director Doricia Benton said she hopes to see the number of teams continue to grow.
"It's a wonderful cause and it is nice of the community to come and embrace not only to have the activities and the fun, enjoy the chili and the band, but it is going to the Soup Kitchen and our daily operation," she said. "We serve six days a week, 52 weeks a year and right now my numbers are up. I am looking at 47,000 meals this year.
"We were at 44,000 (last year). It increases every year, unfortunately. But we have to be prepared."
The chili cook-off was the result of Soup Kitchen board members trying to come up with a way to raise money, she said.
"It just kind sparked and now we are into our ninth year," Ms. Benton said. "It is very beneficial to each day because every day is different and the need is different. The individuals who come in are different as far as their resources. But our main mission is to serve a hot nutritious meal six days a week. So it is very important.
"When you see the senior citizen, the little children with the families and they don't have anything to eat -- we have to take care of our citizens and our community. We are very blessed. The community is very giving to us, very giving to us, and I appreciate each and every one of them."
"We award prizes for best decorations and they are into it," Soup Kitchen board President Chris Garrison said.
The numbers at the soup kitchen had dropped for a while, but have been going back up in recent years, he said.
"And the costs keep going up," Garrison said. "It will cost about $350 a day to run the Soup Kitchen now. So a successful fundraiser is very important to us.
"We would love to make $25,000 to $30,000 (during the fundraiser). Of course, we will sell a lot of tickets and chances to win things, and there are all kinds of opportunities to donate. But corporate sponsors really help us reach that goal. We couldn't do it without them."
And anyone wishing to support the Community Soup Kitchen can find out how by visiting its website or getting in touch with director Doricia Benton at dbenton@communitysoupkitchen.org, or by calling 919-731-3939.