SUNDAY - Aug 10, 2008

Deep Creek Chili Splash Regional

Nothing like cooking at the base of a mountain, next to a lake with over 70 miles of shoreline!!!!! The Deep Creek Chili Splash at the Wisp Ski Resort was a huge success with the money raised for a local charitable group called the Dove Center. The Dove Center provides aid to victims of domestic violence in the area. The cook off raised over $4000.00 dollars today wich is close to double what it raised last year for the Dove Center. The public turn out was awesome and the weather couldn't have been more agreeable.

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Here are the winners....

Salsa 3rd Noelle Kniemeyer VA

2nd Lauren Lentz-Staley KY

1st Rose Warmuth WV

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Verde 3rd Les Walter MD

2nd Brian Warmuth WV

1st Todd Sloane ??

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Red 3rd Nathan Wilson

2nd Lauren Lentz-Staley KY

1st Kendall Francis MD

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ICS Support

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By Truett Airhart, ICS Advisory Board

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The ICS started as a hobby for an affluent group of Southern California businessmen and has now evolved into an organization that is vital to the quality of life for many people. I don't think it is necessary to convince most cooks of the important role it plays in their lives. Desire is the mother of wealth and the ICS has helped make many ICS members wealthy in that sense. The pleasure most ICS members get from the equivalency of attending multiple family reunions lends balance to their lives. They are very happy when traveling, competing and seeing their extended families. Even though I have not cooked for over 25 years, the ICS has been and is an important part of my life.

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Anyone who has been in sales is familiar with the importance of having a champion in the customer's organization. Within the ICS organization, there is a champion and in fact, there are many. Locating the WCCC takes a big selling job. Things out of our control have been at play making the World's Championship an ongoing challenge. One cook said to me, "The ICS keeps changing locations for the World's Championship. Why don't they keep it in one place?" When the WCCC is located and the necessary funds promised, the ICS makes promises too. Too many times, those promises have not been kept by our members. I told her I had the authority to appoint her in charge of locating a permanent location and she backed off with an excuse. I seriously doubt that many cooks fully realize what an effort it takes by Carol (and Dave) Hancock and others.

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Following is a short list of action items:

· Insurance

· Security

· Tables, Chairs, Cooks and Judges Tents

· Health code compliance

· Fire Dept. compliance

· Entertainment

· Stage and sound

· Management of Volunteers

· Judges

· Aprons

· Medallions

· Trophies

· Prize Money

· Sponsorship

· Judging area supplies

· Advertising and promotion

· Waste Management

· Potties/Wash Stations

· Main Stage Banner

· Signage

· The Big One – Location and money

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Cooks complain that the music is too loud or not the kind of music they enjoy. We are trying to attract young people to the ICS. Their tastes are different and what appeals to them may not appeal to many of us, for example their music. Cooks complain about serving People's Choice Chili. Why would you have that attitude if you're cooking chili as a hobby? The World's Championship Chili Cookoff is what the ICS has to offer as an event. Bands, arts and crafts booths, children's activities, the stage activities, etc., are the extras, but People's Choice Chili is what attracts the people and makes it a public event. Carol Hancock can't "sell" the event to any location or sponsor as a music event or street festival. The ICS is a chili cooking organization. An effort needs to be made by ALL cooks to serve People's Choice Chili. If you don't enjoy the contact and other aspects of this hobby, why do it? If the spectators are happy, the sponsors are happy and that improves the probability of the WCCC returning to the same location the following year. We need to support all those involved in putting on the WCCC and that is not an unreasonable request. It is a small .price to pay to help maintain a good location.

Some may believe there is a God-given right to compete for $25,000 and that is not true. I want everyone to understand that it is possible for the ICS to go away as was threatened in 2000. The WCCC was canceled in 1999, but it was saved by individuals who made the effort to help. In August of 2000, again there was no location or sponsorship money for the WCCC. A few individuals pursued and secured a WCCC location only two months prior to the traditionally scheduled date. The cookoff was saved and what happened? ICS members complained! It was a miracle that the event was salvaged at all – and people complained.

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Please take this letter to heart. It was written with the best intentions as an informational piece. Be a good member of the organization you say that you love. Thanks for your support.

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Truett Airhart

Advisory Board Member

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