Rotary chili event cooks up nearly $23,000 for county kids programs
Berl Tiskus
Kids play at the Polson Rotary Club’s Chili Cook-off.
Berl Tiskus
Chuck Wall, left, won first place for his chilii. He represented the Mission Valley Ice Arena. The People’s Choice award went to the United Methodist Church’s “Trinity Chili.”
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
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POLSON — Kids were splashing in the water in the inflatable pool, jumping in the bouncy house, getting their faces painted or putting a golf ball while their parents tasted great chili at the Polson Rotary Chili Cook-Off.
The event was held Saturday, Aug. 22 at Riverside Park. The band Gladys Friday provided lively music as people strolled and visited.
Cooking teams were required to have two gallons of their special chili ready to eat by noon, for judging. The groups brought all ingredients and a means of cooking to the contest.
Visitors to the chili cook-off bought tasting kits and picked their favorite for the People’s Choice Award.
“This year all the cookers are new,” Larry Ashcraft, Rotary chair of event said, “with the exception of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, the United Methodist Church and Mission Mountain Enterprises.”
The weather was great with some of the smoke blown away, Ashcraft said.
“There was a good crowd,” said Jeannie Jackson, one of the crew at the Mission Mountain Enterprises booth.
“We were kind of shooting for $20,000, but we’ve bettered our goal,” Ashcraft said, estimating they made $22,000 to $23,000.
Rotary will donate event proceeds to the Junior Golf program at Polson Bay Golf Course and to the 4-H program to winterize a building so it can be used year round at Lake County Fairgrounds.
About 400 students from Polson Middle School will benefit from Rotary’s gift, said pro Cameron Milton from Polson Bay Golf Course.
In December Milton will work with the physical education staff and teach golf in the classroom. Then, next spring, students will travel to the golf course to practice what they’ve learned.
“It’s opening up a sport where they will learn life skills and sportsmanship,” Milton said.
Golf is a life sport, and some families aren’t golfers or don’t have the means to golf, according to Milton.
Chili prizes were awarded at 2 p.m., and then blindfolded Polson High School cheerleaders drew the winning names for the Rotary raffle.
Results
Best chili:
1, Mission Valley Ice Arena, “the best hockey pucking chili around”
2, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center
3, Eagle Bank
People’s Choice chili:
United Methodist Church – trinity chili
Best decorations and costumes:
Mission Mountain Enterprises
Polson Rotary raffle winners:
$1,000 cash, Jennifer Davis
$1,000 groceries, Ray Wooldridge
300-350 pounds of beef, Lori Schrader
$1,000 worth of gas, Rocky Baez
100-plus bottles of wine, Anne Engebretson
Two 2016 season passes to Polson Bay Golf Course, Jill Southerland
