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Successful HSLR cook off to benefit senior scholarships
  
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By JOSH HARDWICK
Mother Nature obliged the city of Baytown this weekend for its 15th annual Baytown-Highlands “Chili When It’s Chilly Cookoff.”
Temperatures that struggled to rise out of the 60s attracted hundreds of hungry residents to the event, which, according to organizers, saw record numbers of contestants cooking up everything from brisket and chicken to beans and , of course, chili.
Sponsored by the Baytown-Highlands Metro Go Texan Committee, the cook-off benefits area high school seniors by supporting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship program.
Registration fees collected from more than 65 cooking teams combined with above-average attendance rates made this year’s cook- off one of the best in recent memory, said event coordinator Mike Stangle.
Teams vied for top culinary honors in the categories of Brisket, Chicken, Ribs, Beans and Chili, while visitors feasted on chopped beef sandwiches and chili for $5 a ticket.
More than 100 members of the Baytown Chamber of Commerce volunteered their time to head up judging for this year’s event.
“This is by far the largest number of teams we’ve ever had out here, and it’s great because most of these cookers are returning teams that come every year,” said Stangle. “It’s a growing event which is a contrary trend to everything else out there.”
Each year the cook-off raises an average of about $30,000 toward the HLSR scholarship program. In March the money is returned to area high schools in the form of one or two $1,500 scholarships awarded per school.
For the 35-member Baytown-Highlands Metro Go Texan Committee, a rollercoaster of a year combined with unseasonably warm winter weather left some wondering if this year’s event would be a success.
They were pleasantly surprised. When the temperatures dropped, the pits were fired up and attendees poured into the San Jacinto Mall parking lot for the two-day event.
“With the hurricane we expected some downsizing, but this is what people want to do with their weekend,” said Stangle. “It’s a family thing and a great community event.”
Some students representing Goose Creek Memorial High School put in long hours at the event volunteering to prepare sandwiches and chili for attendees.
Senior Amanda Rios and freshmen Jorden Kay, Miesha Frank and Amanda Chavez worked the event from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, serving food to ticketholders and trying to stay warm as the day waned and temperatures fell further.
They didn’t seem to mind the chill. “We just wanted to help out,” said Rios. “I’m excited about it all. Who wouldn’t want a scholarship?”
Area high schools will begin announcing recipients of the 2009 HLSR scholarships in spring.
Temperatures that struggled to rise out of the 60s attracted hundreds of hungry residents to the event, which, according to organizers, saw record numbers of contestants cooking up everything from brisket and chicken to beans and , of course, chili.
Sponsored by the Baytown-Highlands Metro Go Texan Committee, the cook-off benefits area high school seniors by supporting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship program.
Registration fees collected from more than 65 cooking teams combined with above-average attendance rates made this year’s cook- off one of the best in recent memory, said event coordinator Mike Stangle.
Teams vied for top culinary honors in the categories of Brisket, Chicken, Ribs, Beans and Chili, while visitors feasted on chopped beef sandwiches and chili for $5 a ticket.
More than 100 members of the Baytown Chamber of Commerce volunteered their time to head up judging for this year’s event.
“This is by far the largest number of teams we’ve ever had out here, and it’s great because most of these cookers are returning teams that come every year,” said Stangle. “It’s a growing event which is a contrary trend to everything else out there.”
Each year the cook-off raises an average of about $30,000 toward the HLSR scholarship program. In March the money is returned to area high schools in the form of one or two $1,500 scholarships awarded per school.
For the 35-member Baytown-Highlands Metro Go Texan Committee, a rollercoaster of a year combined with unseasonably warm winter weather left some wondering if this year’s event would be a success.
They were pleasantly surprised. When the temperatures dropped, the pits were fired up and attendees poured into the San Jacinto Mall parking lot for the two-day event.
“With the hurricane we expected some downsizing, but this is what people want to do with their weekend,” said Stangle. “It’s a family thing and a great community event.”
Some students representing Goose Creek Memorial High School put in long hours at the event volunteering to prepare sandwiches and chili for attendees.
Senior Amanda Rios and freshmen Jorden Kay, Miesha Frank and Amanda Chavez worked the event from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, serving food to ticketholders and trying to stay warm as the day waned and temperatures fell further.
They didn’t seem to mind the chill. “We just wanted to help out,” said Rios. “I’m excited about it all. Who wouldn’t want a scholarship?”
Area high schools will begin announcing recipients of the 2009 HLSR scholarships in spring.
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