They remembered the last Sunday in September! Our 7th annual fundraising Chili Cook-off was once again well attended and great fun was had by all. We had people arriving before 5 pm and we were not fully ready yet. However, when the musicians, Better Daze from Holdrege, started singing, it was time to get in line for the food!!
Overview of people eating and band playing
Saturday it was a beautiful cool Fall day and the perfect day for chili. But come Sunday, the heat was turned back on – it was really hot and very windy. This inclement trend of Fall weather is the main reason we moved the event for the past three years to the 4-H building. Under the fans and air conditioning, the weather outside had absolutely no effect on us. So many people commented on the fact that if we would have held the event at the Fort, we would have had major problems with the wind and also flies. We are really grateful that we have this building available for us to use for our event.
Seven teams made their best of the best chili and decorated their tables according to their individual themes. It was a tough competition between the teams and it was difficult to make your choice before casting your votes. In the end, the teams that won, were voted for by the people. Sadly, one team forgot they had entered and failed to show up.
Sheriff's Office - winners of the South of the Border category as well as the best decorated table
The Best Decorated Table was a runaway win for the Sheriff’s Office – they really went all out on the theme of South of the Border and looked the part with their ponchos and sombreros. Their table was also decorated with mini sombreros, which were also used to dress up their condiments. The People’s Choice category was won by the A-team, TAMKO, who are celebrating their 50th year of business and can add this win to a year of celebrations. And drum roll for the winners of South of the Border category…. Once again, the Sheriff’s Office took this prize. This is the first time that one team has won more than one category, but the tribe has spoken and congratulations to them for this feat.
Team TAMKO - winners of the People's Choice category
We received so many big prizes that we could not fit into the goodie bags that we made up for the teams. We ended up grouping these prizes into seven and each team had to draw a number for their respective big prize. We have to say a huge thank you to the businesses of Phillipsburg and surrounds for their generosity towards our event. Without teams making chili, the event is not possible. And without prizes there is no incentive.
When all was done, it was time to clean up. With a lot of volunteers assisting us in folding up tables and chairs, the hall was soon emptied so that the floors could be cleaned. With so many helping hands, we were all packed up and ready to leave the premises by 8 pm. What a great team effort!
At the time of writing this article, we had not received the final amount raised from our Treasurer. Our Donation Jar however was filled to the brim. Thank you so much for each one that came, that contributed and made this all possible. Also, a huge thank you to our hard-working board members of the Phillips County Historical Society and their spouses, who are the silent stars behind the scenes. We posted a collection of photos of the event on Facebook, where we also post regular items of interest. Please follow us there!
