Fighting Fires with Fiery Chili

In this season of drought-stricken land and windy fall weather, it’s more important than ever to support the brave volunteer fire departments that protect Texas from wildfires. That’s why we were happy to be a sponsor of the Firefighters Chili Cookoff, put on by the Whitewright Area Chamber of Commerce.

The cook-off and tasting was an officially sanctioned event of the Chili Appreciation Society International, and attracted 23 teams from all over Texas. Cooks included volunteer firefighter teams from Bells, Howe, Savoy, Tioga, Trenton, Van Alstyne and Whitewright, as well as teams from Boy Scout Troop 42, North Texas Ag-Power, CTRECH and some regular folks who just really like chili. Several of the teams were trying to earn enough points to qualify for the annual Teralingua chili cook-off.

The winners were:
Chili
1st Place – Don Ryba of Greenville
2nd Place – Rex Jones, Dallas
3rd Place – Nita Rhor, Garland
4th Place – Rick Laribie, Argyle
5th Place – Rick Poston, Paris
6th Place – Troop 42 Boy Scouts, Whitewright
7th Place – Becky Brisco, Conroe
8th Place – Howard Jones, Pottsboro
9th Place – Don Moore, Sherman
10th Place – Scott Greenlee, Whitewright
 
Showmanship
1st Place – Savoy VFD
2nd Place – Becky Brisco, Conroe
3rd Place – Van Alstyne FD/VFD
 
People’s Choice
Becky Brisco, Conroe

For more information or to find out about next year’s event, contact Ella Fitzbag at the Whitewright Chamber of Commerce at (903) 818-9023 or cook-off@hotmail.com.