By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer
Thirty-seven chefs fired up crock pots to serve chili to an eager group of fans Friday during the 21st annual United Way Chili Cookoff at Cherokee Strip Conference Center.
Allan McCobb, executive director of United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, said the cookoff went great.
“It was another successful year,” said McCobb, “It was another good turnout.”
Judges’ choice chili winners were: first place, Central National Bank; second place, Youth and Family Services; third place, NBC Bank; fourth place, Mid America; and fifth place, Parrish Enterprises.
Central National Bank employees Kristy Pasby and Casey Felix helped manned the chili booth of the winning chili.
“We had a bankwide chili cookoff,” said Pasby, “The winner was a combination of two different departments.”
Todd Wheeler, Randy Maxey and Jason Maxey came out to enjoy all the chili available at the cookoff.
“I liked most of it,” said Wheeler, “This is the first time I’ve been. Randy said let’s go eat some chili.”
Randy Maxey said he and Jason Maxey went to the chili cookoff a few years before.
“Jason and I came a few years ago,” said Randy Maxey, “Jason told me they were having it so it is his fault I am going to have an upset stomach all day.”
State Rep. Mike Jackson came to the cookoff to try the chili.
“The chili was really, really good. You can tell they put a lot of time and effort into the chili,” said Jackson. “I think it went over really well with the community.”
McCobb said the chili selection was good this year.
“There was a lot of good varieties of chili,” said Mc-Cobb.
This year’s theme was “Bring on the Games.”
Booth decoration winners were: First place, Ward Petroleum; second place, Enid News and Eagle; third place, Hedges Regional Speech & Hearing Clinic; fourth place, Mid-America Wholesale; fifth place tie, Continental Resources and Community Development Support Association.
Ward Petroleum’s booth was decorated in a first-Olympics theme. Rick Tozzi, Ward Petroleum employee supporting the booth, was dressed in a toga.
“We thought everybody would be doing an Olympic-type theme because of the past Olympics, so rather than do that we wanted to do the first Olympics,” said Tozzi.
Booths were decorated in a variety of different variation on the theme. Some booths were sports-team oriented such as Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. Other booths were based on board games such as Twister or Monopoly.
“The booths were great. People did a bang-up job on them,” said McCobb.
Top dollar chili winners were: First place, Continental Resources, $2,774; second place, city of Enid, $2,557; third place, Groendyke Trans-portation, $1,994; fourth place, Messer-Bower Insurance, $1031; and fifth place tie, Oklahoma Natural Gas and Youth and Family Services, $590.
The total amount raised was over $13,000.
All proceeds from the event went to the United Way.
