one hot competition

By

DON McCRAINE

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ &045;&045; Natchez firemen needed only a two-alarm chili recipe Saturday to win first place in the 16th annual Broadway Bash and Chili Cook-Off.

Twenty-four teams competed in the event at Rosalie Bicentennial Park. Proceeds benefited the Natchez Children’s Home. &uot;We love the kids. We don’t really care if we win or lose. It’s just a great cause,&uot; Natchez Fire Department team cook Stan Owens said.

All chili entries were beef-based recipes prepared onsite and judged anonymously. Pork and beans were not allowed. &uot;We used a three-alarm recipe a few years ago and won third place. This was a combination of recipes with a special ingredient,&uot; Owens said.

The Fun Bunch Supper Club took second place with its &uot;Team Generic&uot; recipe, while third place went to the Southwest Planning and Development District for their &uot;Taste of the Southwest.&uot;

Totals for this year’s event were not immediately available, but Chili Cook-Off Co-Chairman Walt Wilson said the fundraiser has grown steadily since its inception in 1987.

&uot;We raised over $8,000 last year, and we expect to surpass that total this year,&uot; Wilson said.

The 95 Country radio station team won the &uot;Most Bought Votes&uot; award by raising $1,195 in donations before and during the event. Teams also competed for the showmanship trophy, awarded each year by youngsters from the Children’s Home to their favorite team booth.

The Respiratory Care Practitioner Program team from Copiah-Lincoln Community College impressed the children with their &uot;Bad Belly Chili&uot; &045;&045; dipped from the stomach of a CPR mannequin.

Elsewhere, New Covenant Presbyterian Church closely guarded the &uot;sacred&uot; ingredients to their recipe, and the Krewe of Phoenix treated a chocolate lab named Buck to a cup of chili.

Sponsors included 107 The River, Callon Petroleum and the Co-Lin Respiratory Care Practitioners Program.