The smell of warm chili filled the air at the inaugural Chili Wars event.
Held on Saturday, November 7, the event was a benefit for God’s Pantry Food Bank and held at the Morehead Conference Center in Morehead.
Awards were presented by God’s Pantry Food Bank CEO Marian F. Guinn, Ben Caudill and Jeffrey Liles, Morehead Regional Advisory Board Chair and Vice Chair.
Chili Wars Winners List:
1st Place - Rowan Co. Sherriff
2nd Place - Morehead Pediatric Dentistry
3rd Place - Jesus Our Savior Catholic Church
People’s Choice – Allen’s IGA
Best Decorated Table – St. Claire Regional Medical Center
More than 200 people were in attendance at the event, which was sponsored by The Citizen’s Bank and St. Claire Regional Medical Center.
In addition to the chili samplings, there was live music provided by the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music’s Mountain Music Ambassadors and a silent auction.
The event generated more than $18,000 for the Food Bank’s Morehead Regional Distribution Center.
For every $10 given, God’s Pantry Food Bank is able to distribute $170 worth of food, that means that more than 306,000 meals will find their way to families in need as a result of Chili Wars.
“Chili Wars proved to be a fun way to raise much needed funds and increase awareness of the work of God’s Pantry Food Bank throughout the region,” said God’s Pantry Food Bank CEO, Marian Guinn.
“We are pleased to have opened the Morehead Regional Distribution Center in September and very happy to report that in the Center’s first full month of operation we saw a 330% increase in the amount of food available to low income households in the area,” added Guinn.
The mission of God’s Pantry Food Bank is to reduce hunger in Kentucky through community cooperation making the best possible use of all available resources.
Along with a network of nearly 400 member agencies, the organization serves 50 counties of Central and Eastern Kentucky. God’s Pantry Food Bank is a member of Feeding America.
“We’d like to thank The Citizen’s Bank and St. Claire Regional Medical Center for their joint title sponsorship of this event without sponsors and a great team of volunteers, events like this would not be possible. We look forward to the 2016 Chili Wars and hope that more people will join in on the fun and our mission to reduce hunger in Kentucky,” commented Guinn.
(story provided by God's Pantry Food Bank)
