Although the fall air was quite chilly this past Sunday, there was plenty of actual chili to go around at the Gamma Phi Beta House. The sorority hosted a chili cook-off contest from 1 to 3 p.m. in which Colgate students and other members of the Colgate community brought their best chili to the contest. With a suggested donation of seven dollars, anyone was welcomed to the event and was given one spoon, four tickets and the power to influence the fate of one lucky chili maker.

Money made from donations at the event will be given to the Central New York chapter of a program called Girls on the Run. This non-profit organization is essentially a positive development program for girls from third to eighth grade. The goal is to use running and other interactive activities as a means to teach life skills, such as maintaining self-confidence and having an appreciation for health and fitness. From the program, the girls become both emotionally and physically prepared to complete a 5k celebratory run.

After tasting all of the chili and cornbread, each person gave one of their tickets to one of the four separate chilis which they deemed the best. The chili maker with the most tickets received a gift card of $150 to a restaurant of their choice downtown.

 “I think the event went really well overall, and it is something we would definitely consider doing again. Not only was there a great turnout of people, but it was also a perfect activity for the cold fall weather,” said junior Claire Streeter, a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. 

The chili cook-off not only satisfied a hungry stomach, but also provided an opportunity to meet and socialize with some Colgate students and members of the Hamilton community. And of course, it was the perfect way to stay warm in the chilly fall weather.

Contact Caroline Weihs at [email protected].