More than 2,000 people braved the slightly chilly conditions Saturday to enjoy some chili at the Sixth Annual Chili for Children Cook-Off. The event, held at Lady Luck Casino, raised more than $13,000 for the Warren County Children’s Shelter while showing off some of the best chili recipes in the area.

The line at River Region executive chef John Pelton’s booth snaked around his tent as hungry patrons patiently waited to try his recipe.

“It’s a conglomeration of different meats. I put brown meat in it, but I also put some diced pork as well as some beef tenderloin,” Pelton said. “It’s got a good amount of different kind of meats in it with your normal beans and spices that I use.”

Pelton helped judge for the first two years of the contest before competing in the past three cook-offs. While people sprinkled cheddar cheese on top of his concoction and dipped his chili in homemade Mexican cornbread, Pelton discussed his company’s desire to be a part of events that better the Warren County community

“We like to represent in the community and let folks know that we’re out here to help,” Pelton said. “We do a lot of charity events … We like to represent as much as we can in the community.”

The restaurant 10 South took home the People’s Choice Award for best chili, and head chef Kevin Roberts said he is excited to boast an award-winning recipe before his restaurant on Washington Street is slated to open in March.

“This is actually a recipe I’ve been working on for a couple of years,” Roberts said. “I won a chili cook-off when I lived in Alaska for a little while, and now I’m here at 10 South.”

Roberts praised the cook-off as a way to assist the children of Warren County’s Children’s Shelter and make a solid impact in the lives of dozens of families.

“It’s for the kids. It’s for the kid’s shelter and everything like that. It’s a great benefit,” he said. “It brings the community together. That’s what it’s all about in the South, bringing family together. The soul of the South is about family, and that’s what 10 South is about as well.”

Shelter program director Cindy McCarley could barely contain her glee when she drove up and saw the thousands of people milling about the lawn at Lady Luck.

“When I got here this morning I was topping the hill, and you know when you come around the curb and you look down there, my stomach got all knotted up,” she said. “I said, ‘Look at all these people!’ It’s overwhelming.”

But with $13,000 raised and 26 teams participating in the event, McCarley believes her purpose in helping the children she works with was validated with every cup of chili that was handed out.

“People always ask me why I do what I do and I think it’s this,” McCarley said. “It’s because it’s so cool to see a community rise above all the bad things that they say are in people and see all the good in people.”

 

Winners of the Sixth Annual Chili for Children Cook-Off include:

1st Place – Misfit Chili

2nd Place – Elevate Church

3rd Place – Wild Man

People’s Choice Award – 10 South