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Fun raising

Rotary Club chili cook-off, games play into raising $15,000 for O’Malley Field

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On a cool Aug. 28, starting at 8 a.m., Riverside Park was dotted with tents and canopies and smelled of simmering tomatoes, chilies and onions and grilling meat. 

The 4th Annual Rotary Festival for Youth Chili Cook-Off and Raffle was underway and lasted until 3 p.m.

Proceeds of the cook-off and raffle go to a different cause benefiting community youth each year. This year’s choice will be improvements to the baseball field at O’Malley Park, including field lighting and an overhead cover for the bleachers. 

According to Rotary Chair Rob Turner, 13 teams of chili-makers competed for the title of best chili in western Montana plus cash prizes.

“Everybody comes for the chili,” Turner said. 

Chili-makers needed to have their secret recipes ready to go by noon for tasting. Nine official judges picked their favorite chili, and the crowd of about 300 purchased tasting kits and voted on their choice also. Turner estimated the crowd was larger than last year’s since many booths ran out of chili. The increased attendance may have been due to cooler weather, foreshadowing fall.

While adults were sampling chili, music played from the Anderson Broadcasting trailer, including live music with Mega Karma, a band featuring Karla Gallatin, Megan Gran and Brian Campbell.  

The younger set could play games organized by Nancy Hausermann. Winners received stuffed animals in games such as horseshoes and pick the kite, and almost every child was a winner. Children could also get their faces painted and take a ride on the Miracle of America Museum’s barrel-trail pulled by a small tractor.

As part of the fundraisers, Polson Rotary raffled off five large prizes. Turner estimated the event raised about $15,300. 

Chili winners included:
Best Decorated Booth
Fidelity Title Agency of Lake County, Chief Cook Renee Zubowicz

People’s Choice
1. Polson Volunteer Fire Department, Chief Cook Jane Clapp
2. Polson Community Telephone, Chief Cook Wade Culp
3. St. Joseph Medical Center, Chief Cook Joe Garza

Judge’s Choice
1. Mission Valley Mariners “B” Team, Chief Cook Bob Gauthier, $200 prize
2. St. Joseph Medical Center, Chief Cook Joe Garza, $100 prize
3. First Interstate Bank, Chief Cook Drew Shealey, $50 prize      

Lucky raffle winners were:
Rosie Strope — $1,000 cash donated by First Interstate Bank
Jim Corning — $1,000 in groceries donated by Super 1
Gary Collinge — 300 pounds of Kobe beef donated by Marchi Ranch
Roger Grimes — 129 bottles of wine donated by Polson Rotarians
Marty Corse — Two season golf passes donated by the City of Polson

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