Chili Cookoff stirs the fundraising pot
After winter storm Enzo swept through, leaving still chilly weather, the perfect remedy for the cold was a hot bowl of chili and the warmth of the community coming together. The Junior Service League of Port St. Joe provided just that. Waves of locals and travelers alike showed out, just days after the ice from the roads thawed, and took part in the 15th annual Junior Service League’s chili cook-off.
The Junior Service League, an all-volunteer group, which was formed in 1996, raises money each year through the cookoff to donate to other organizations around the area and this year’s proceeds from the event go to the women and children of Gulf County.
“We take kids from Wewa, kids from Port St. Joe, and we take them to Kohl’s and help get them jackets, shoes and clothes and things that they need to get through the winter,” Amy Connolly, president of the Junior Service League, said in an interview with Maggy McGuigan, a reporter for WMBB.
For this year’s chili competition, three anonymous judges decided the winners. Team Gulf of America, a group that consisted of members of the Knox, Whitfield, and Hicks families, took home the first place prize. Accompanying them at their booth, was their mascot Freedom, a service horse. Radio Active earned the second place trophy and Haughty Heron won third. Big Shots, a group of friends from Georgia that share a love of cooking, won the Most Spirited award. There was also a People’s Choice prize which came in the form of a wrestling style belt, specially designed by The Junior Service League. Bayside Bakery and Cafe won the People’s Choice.
On top of enjoying the delicious variety of chilis made by 15 different teams, there were plenty of activities to take part in. Such activities included live music on the patio of The Haughty Heron, and even an entire area for kids activities that included a large bouncy slide and a mobile game truck equipped with numerous gaming consoles. There were also a number of local vendors, each offering unique goods.
They also hold a car show each year. This year’s winners were:
Kids Choice: 1934 Ford Model 40
3rd Place: 1937 Buick Grand National
2nd Place: 1956 Chevy Bel Air Convertible
1st Place: 1965 Chevy Chevelle
The Junior Service League of Port St. Joe will be hosting their Valentine semi-formal on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Pomodoro Italian Grill. This event will serve as a fundraiser for the Sacred Heart Gulf Women’s Diagnostic Center.
For more information, contact jslpsj@gmail.com.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.