It was all about the chili at the Eagles Nest in La Crosse on Nov. 9.  18 organizations, including The Racquet, participated in the third annual Chili Cook-Off.  The cook-off began at 5:30 p.m. and ended roughly at 7:30 p.m. at the Eagles Nest.  The cost of admission was $5 per attendee, which granted all attendees access to unlimited and diverse chili recipes provided by each participating organization.

“The purpose of the Chili Cook-Off is to raise not only money for RAQ Radio, but also for the Coulee Region Humane Society,” Ashley Konkel, a student at UW-La Crosse and organizer of the contestants for the chili contest, said.  “The Broadcast Club has paired with the Coulee Region Humane Society for about 19 years for the telethon and for three years for the RAQ chili cook-off.”

The Broadcast Club runs RAQ Radio, which is UW-L’s student and community run radio station.

The Coulee Region Humane Society (CRHS) promotes “the humane treatment of animals and positive human-animal relationships.”

The CRHS’s main site offers a variety of information about pets and pet care and also offers employment and pet adoption opportunities.  For more information about CRHS, visit: www.couleehumane.com.

The Eagles Nest was packed with students and attendees who were all eager to try the different types of chili provided by the participating organizations of the chili cook-off.  Not only did the attendees get to try unlimited amounts of chili, but they were also given the opportunity to vote for their favorite chili dish of the night.

“It’s an easy thing to get people together,” Konkel answered when asked why chili was chosen to be the dish in the spotlight.  “It’s cold outside, and it’s nice to get people warm and feel warm with the chili.”

After many taste tests between the chili recipes provided, attendees casted their votes for their favorite chili of the night with yellow tickets provided by the event holders.  The tickets were placed in individual containers, each one representing the participating teams, which were later counted to and tallied.  The winners of the chili cook-off are as follows:

In third place, with 11 points, was Mike Senk of the Alumini Alpha Sigma Phi Organization.

In second place, with 15 points, was Tyrell of WMCM.

And in first place, with 23 points, was The Vanguards.