
By Wendy Lamond
Who knew there were so many different variations of delicious chili.
On Jan. 18, a smorgasbord of chilis were available to try as the St. Marys Legion held its first-annual Canadian Chili Cookoff.
The cost of the fundraiser was just $5 per person to get in. Those who paid the price of entry received five tickets to cast their votes for their favourite chili after being allowed to sample as many as they would like.
There were two separate categories being judged, restaurants and people’s choice.
The event, which was three months in the planning, was organized by new to St. Marys Legion member Bernie Vandonk. Vandonk, who comes from Pelee Island and was president of the Legion there for two years, was encouraged to join the St. Marys chapter after moving to town. He also has chili-cookoff planning experience as he was chair for a similar project through his church.
The first-year event was considered a success as there was 15 people’s choice entries and four restaurants competing for the title. Vandonk commented they would like to host it again next year and shared they would be interested in adding a kid’s category and maybe some games for those in attendance.
On behalf of Vandonk and all Legion members, organizers thanked the community and local businesses for supporting this event.
Drumroll please; the top-three winners for each category are as follows:
• Restaurant category: Campbell’s Catering and Canteen won first place, Naina’s Indian Kitchen Bar & Grill won second place and TuttCo took third.
• People’s choice category: Jason Firby won first place, Colin Coburn won second place and Becky Hewitt took third.
Congratulations to all the winners.
Watch for upcoming events from the St. Marys Legion like Bingo starting the first Sunday of February and a Mardi Gras celebration coming in March.
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