The Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation is putting the finishing touches on its second annual Chili Cook Off.
The event, which is inside the community building at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Fairgrounds, begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. The day will include celebrity chili judging, cakewalks, homemade pie auction, raffles of a rifle, tripod tree stand and motorized scooter, adult and kids costume contest and music by B# Entertainment.
The TCMH Healthcare Foundation hosts the cook off to benefit Hospice of Care. Twenty area businesses and organizations have already signed up chili competition teams to participate in the cook off.
Last year, 18 teams served chili to more than 350 people who attended.
“Hospice of Care has a long tradition and well-known reputation for providing physical, mental and spiritual care for terminally ill patients and their family members in Texas County and the surrounding area regardless of their ability to pay for the services,” said Jay Gentry, foundation director. “Many people look forward to the annual hospice fund-raising event as a way to give back to a charity that has benefited them, their family or friends.”
Gentry noted that all the proceeds raised by the event support Hospice of Care and remain in Texas County to benefit area residents.
The foundation has a special “Hospice Fund” where the funds and other donations to Hospice of Care are held. The foundation plans to use funds raised for Hospice of Care to create a room in the hospital’s planned medical surgical floor expansion that will be dedicated for use by hospice patients that require hospitalization while in the organization’s care.
A live auction at the cook off will be one of the major portions of the fund-raiser. The auction, which begins at 2 p.m., features donations from several locals: original paintings from Barbara White and Carolyn Nieman; hand-carver quilt rack with shelf from Russ Biros of Plato; handmade green glass tray from Kathleen Brown of Raymondville; two hand-pieced quilts from Peggy Holder, Polly Adkison and Ann Berger; and full-size quilt from the Houston Senior Center quilters.
Other donated items include: locally raised beef and lamb; trip for two to Tunica, Miss.; camouflage popup ground blind; and St. Louis Rams tailgate package that includes tickets to a game.
The event raised $23,144 last year with a goal of $15,000 set prior to the first-time event.
“The foundation has set a goal of raising $25,000 with this year’s cook off,” Gentry said. “Hospice of Care has touched many lives in Texas County, and this is reflected in the generosity of people that come out to the cook off.”
Gentry said some of this year’s entrants have already begun raising money. An award will be given to the team that raises the most funds.
Team Wild Card in Summersville has already raised $5,000 through donations and a dinner and auction in September. Three cook off teams at TCMH are holding raffles and doing other things to raise money for their teams.
For more information, contact Hospice of Care at 417-967-1260 or the foundation at 417-967-1377. Tickets are available through TCMH Auxiliary Gift Shop and the cook off teams.