NATCHEZ — Armed with Styrofoam cups and plastic spoons, Polly Thompson, Julie Emerick and Suzonne Bradford were ready to fight their way through crowds at the annual Children’s Home Services Broadway Bash Chili Cook Off.

The three happily paid their $5 to sample the goodies prepared by local chili chefs and had a lofty goal of sampling all the chili varieties offered.

“Chili, chili, chili,” said Thompson of Natchez. “It is a great deal, a great day and a great event.”

Emerick was finishing off her first sample of chili and ready for a second, but knew she’d take time out of the chili quest to watch the casket races, part of the entertainment at the event.

“I heard about the casket races and just said ‘I’ve got to see that,’” she said.

The group said they weren’t going to participate this year in the casket races, but weren’t counting out the option of competing next year.

“I think we might have to get our bowling team out here and have a team,” Thompson said.

This year, though, the only competition the women were having was who could get through the crowd the fastest. For the winner, the prize was another bowl of chili.

Two Guys, a Squirrel and a Pot of Chili team chef Patrick Beasley came from Jackson back to his hometown to participate in the cook off.

He said while the team name might throw some people off, there wasn’t actually squirrel in the chili. The squirrel was used in cooking process though, team member Phillip Spencer said.

The squirrel was friend and teammate Brandon Gremillion of Vidalia.

“It is a nickname we’ve had for him for a long time,” Beasley said. “He’s the squirrel.”

The team entered their venison chili into the competition on a whim after receiving an e-mail about the contest.

“We just said ‘Why not’ and entered,” Beasley said.

For Wild Bill’s chili at the Dickey Dental Clinic cooking in this year’s chili cook-off was a chance to get involved in a good cause and have a little fun at the same time.

“I heard about it on Wednesday and called (Bill Herrington) and said ‘You want to enter the chili cook-off?” Trey Dickey said. “We put together one pot of chili, tasted it and said ‘that’s good’ and came out here this morning.”

Dickey said the team, made up of Herrington, Dickey, Leigh Dickey and Jo Ann Herrington, has participated in the chili cook off in the past and was happy to be back.

“It is a for a good cause in the community,” he said. “We are happy to be involved and having a lot of fun.”

Team taste-tester Carter Dickey was happy to lend his services for the day, too. When asked whether he was doing more cooking or more eating, his answer was emphatic.

“Eating,” he said and grabbed another cracker. The proceeds raised at the event benefit the Natchez Children’s Home Services in Natchez.