The Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation is putting the finishing touches on the third annual Chili Cook Off. The event is Saturday, Nov. 7, in the community building at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Fairgrounds.
The Chili Cook Off begins at 11 a.m. with chili tasting and activities throughout the day. Plans include celebrity chili judging, cakewalks, silent auctions, live auction, giving away a utility terrain vehicle, an appearance by the mascot of the Springfield Cardinals and B# Entertainment providing music throughout the day.
The TCMH Healthcare Foundation hosts the event to benefit Hospice of Care, and 18 area businesses and organizations have signed up chili competition teams to participate.
Last year, 18 teams served chili to more than 350 people who attended. Jay Gentry, foundation director, hopes this year’s event brings out new people as well as people who have supported Hospice of Care in the past.
“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,” Gentry said. “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 support Hospice of Care and remain in Texas County to benefit area residents.
The foundation has a special “Hospice Fund” where the cook off funds and other donations to Hospice of Care are held. The foundation used monies raised for Hospice of Care to implement an “on call” physician position for Hospice of Care patients to ensure that a physician is always available to provide 24/7 care to them and to admit new persons into the program whenever needed. The funds have also been to purchase special mattresses for the beds and recliners for the hospice rooms at the hospital.
A live auction and the UTV raffle will be one of the major portions of the fund-raiser at the event. Grace Manufacturing in Plato and S&H Farm Supply in Mountain Grove partnered together to donate the BushHog brand UTV, which a is four-wheel drive with bench seat, brush guard, gun rack and dump bed. It has a value of $8,346. Only 1,000 raffle tickets will be sold. The winner will be drawn at 3 p.m.
The live auction portion of the event will be at 2 p.m. Lanie Frick has donated two rodeo themed prints, and Barbara White had donated a watercolor. Harold Mitchell of Houston made and donated a cedar lined blanket chest in honor of his mother, who was in Hospice of Care service this year. A queen size hand pieced quilt has been donated by Peggy Holder and Ann Berger.
Other donated items in the auction include one locally raised beef and a pork; a five-day Caribbean cruise for two; a fisherman’s package; a St. Louis Rams tailgate package that includes four club level tickets to a game; a Mizzou sports package that includes a 2008 autographed team football, autographed basketball and two tickets to a basketball game; estate planning services to prepare a will; a flat panel television; and an overnight holiday stay in Branson.
“The foundation has set a goal of raising $45,000 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.”
The Chili Cook off raised $35,000 last year with a goal of $25,000 set before the event.
“Some of our Chili Cook Off teams have already been fund-raising for their teams,” Gentry said. One of the awards given at the cook off goes to the team that raises the most money. The cook off teams are selling raffle tickets for the UTV, event and doing other things to raise money for their teams.
“Teams will also hold silent auctions, raffles, and do other things to raise money for their teams at the cook off,” Gentry said.
For more information, contact Hospice of Care at 417-967-1260 or the foundation at 417-967-1377. Tickets are available through the foundation or Hospice of Care, TCMH clinics in Summersville, Licking, Houston and Cabool, the TCMH Auxiliary Gift Shop and the Chili Cook Off teams.