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Chili cookoff to benefit CASA

WEIRTON — Saturday, chili and salsa cooks will have an opportunity to compete in an International Chili Society-sanctioned event while helping an area program that aids children involved in abuse and neglect cases in Hancock, Brooke and Jefferson counties.

Set for noon to 5 p.m. at the Weirton Event Center located on East Street and Cove Road, Red Hot in Hancock’s Chili Cookoff also will include music, activities for children and a tug-of-war tournament for various ages.

Admission is free, but attendees may buy tickets to taste the variety of chili and salsas at the event. Those wanting to attend the event may purchase two tasting tickets for $1.

In addition to their chili’s taste, cooks will be judged on showmanship, including decorating their cooking area and engaging the public during the chili tasting. Awards will include People’s and Sponsor’s Choice and a total prize package worth more than $1,400.

The first place red chili prize is $500, second place is $150 and third is $75. The first place green chili prize is $250, second place is $100 and third place is $50. The best homestyle chili prize is $100 and the best salsa award is $250.

Winners also may go on to compete for cash and prizes in the society’s World’s Championship Chili Cookoff. There is a category for restaurants, pubs and the media.

The cooks must show proof of their membership in the ICS or join or renew their membership at the event. The cost for cooks is a $50 International Chili Society membership and $30 entry fee. Registration fees, cash prizes and other information can be found at www.childsplacecasa.com.

Four-member teams in the tug-of-war tourney will compete for prizes, with the contest set to begin at 1 p.m. There will be divisions for male, female or co-ed adult teams; and students in high school, middle school and elementary school.

The cost to register is $5 per person in advance and $10 per person on that day.

For information, contact Tina Thompson at (740) 275-8699 or Tina.Thompson@Proforma.com.

A Child’s Place is one of more than 900 CASA programs in the U.S. that trains volunteers to ensure children involved in abuse and neglect cases are receiving proper care.

Since it was established in 2000, it has served 791 children in Brooke and Hancock counties. Currently the program serves 131 children, including 22 in Jefferson County, where it expanded its services last year.

Currently, 17 community members serve as advocates in Brooke and Hancock counties. In addition to training, they must undergo criminal background checks and take oaths agreeing to keep confidential details of the cases they are assigned.

Rhonda Stubbs, the program’s executive director, said the work requires someone with a flexible schedule and reliable transportation because it involves attending court hearings and visiting the children in the foster or traditional homes in which they have been placed.

She said the program has benefited from the cooperation of court officials in Brooke and Hancock counties and she’s very pleased that it’s been welcomed and supported by those in Jefferson County.

Stubbs noted the group “isn’t a line item in anyone’s budget” and depends on grants, including federal money awarded through the Victims of Crime Act, private donations and various fundraisers organized by volunteers to support its operations. The program’s operations in Jefferson County also are supported by the Jefferson County United Way.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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