ROME TOWNSHIP — For the third straight year, the Wyngate at RiversEdge hosted its Community Chili Cook Off on Saturday, which featured six kinds of chili and all the fixings.
“It’s a contest between our top five cooks out of our kitchen, and one of our resident’s daughters is competing this year,” Julie Poff, Wyngate activities director, said. “Everyone gets a ticket to put in the bowl by their favorite chili to determine the winner at the end.”
Competing in the competition were Wyngate cooks Lori Jewell, who made a kidney bean chili, Missy Bowman, who made an old fashioned chili, Chico Clifton, who made a southwest turkey chili, Jeannie Viars, who made a Mexican black bean chili and Melissa Thacker, who made a white chicken chili. The sixth competitor, Linda Osbourne, made a vegetarian chili for the competition.

“The Wyngate is all about the community, and we do a community event every month,” Poff said. “All of the events are free, and it’s a good time for the community to come in and tour the facility and interact. The family members always get involved and our residents help out with decorating and gearing up for the events. We’re all about having a good time, and whatever we can do to make the residents happy is what we’re all about.”

Keeping with the theme of the event, Charleston, West Virginia-based DJ Herb Ball was on hand playing Mexican Mariachi music.

Winning this year’s competition was Jewell, who along with the title of chili cook off winner, received a Rachel Ray cooking pot filled with all of the supplies and utensils needed for a batch of chili and a trophy to go with it.

Poff said that for winning the competition, Jewell would enter into a future chili cook off in the county on behalf of the Wyngate.