SUNDAY - Jan. 17, 2010

Great Forsyth, IL.

ICS Sanctioned Regional

1/16/10

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"Hap" Gilbert (Mayor of Forsyth) once again pulled off another very successful chili cookoff.

The cookoff was held in the rotunda area of the beautiful Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth.

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There were 51 ICS contestants and 34 Celebrity Crockpot contestants stirring their wares and handing out samples to the public for donations to the two charities of choice.

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It is to soon to tabulate, but, it is believed that we surpassed last years charity donations of more than $7,000 to the Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army.

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After the awards of the very,very happy winners, most made their way to the Homewood Suites just behind the Mall were all enjoyed a free buffet banquet of pulled pork, Buffalo wings, salads, etc. including free adult beverages as well as a lot of camaraderie and laughs.

All this provided by Ray's Chilli Products, Buffalo Wild Wings, and the Homewood Suites.

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Special thanks need to be given to "Hap", Kathy, Jay, Rex, Kassie, Doug, and Kim for all there efforts to help raise money for charity and produce one of the best cookoffs around.

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Many - Many thanks to all and especially to the cooks that support this event.

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SALSA 15 contestants (10 judges)

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4th = Tom Calvert (HM)

3rd = Tina Kruse 7 pts (Taylorville, IL.)

2nd = Chris Toney 9 pts (St. Louis, MO.)

1st = Ken Kostal 10 pts (Marblehead, OH.)

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VERDE 25 contestants (18 judges)

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4th = Tom Calvert (HM)

3rd = Candy Thomas 10 pts (Naperville, IL.)

2nd = Mark Johnson 11 pts (Atlantic, IA.)

1st = Jeff Netser 12 pts (Seymour, IN.)

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CHILI 51 contestants (30 judges)

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4th = 3 way tie HM (not broken)

Candy Thomas = Tom Calvert = Dearl Thomas

3rd = Greg Virant 7 pts (Omaha, NE.)

2nd = Linda Carroll 7 pts (Taylorville, IL. (won tie break)

1st = Georgia Weller 11 pts (Rockton, IL,)

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As you can see by the above contestants, it was very good competition.

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While Ken has taken several years off from cooking, he is roaring back.

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And, look at the Verde and Red.......2 World Champions !!

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This is Georgia's 21st year in a row to qualify for the WCCC. What an accomplishment.

Attending the cookoff were 7 World Champions including the 2009 Reigning Red Chili World Champion Maureen Barrett.

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Congratulations to all the contestants....They are all winners.

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Bob Hall

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FLORIDA KEYS BACK-TO-BACK COOKOFFS ARE ON!

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Hi Everybody,

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A quick heads-up for everyone's advance planning purposes.

In response to popular request – more like "popular clamoring" judging from the inputs in Charleston at the 2009 World – the cookoffs in the Florida Keys are back. The dates are set; ICS paperwork is in process.

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There will be two qualifiers – Florida State and Chili in the Keys Regional. The dates are March 13^th & 14^th, not sure which one on what day.

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The location is Founders' Park in the Islamorada area. That is right around Mile Marker 87, or roughly 20 miles down from the last cookoffs in the Keys at Key Largo.

If you go to http://maps.google.com and enter "Founders' Park, Islamorada Florida", it will take you to a business - Founders Park Watersports, which is in the park. However, it will also give you a very a very nice satellite view of the very beautiful park; it also shows the Overseas Highway (US-1).

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The cookoffs have returned thanks the efforts of Dennis Ward (the State Attorney for the 16^th Judicial District Florida – The Florida Keys) who has been leading the effort; added to that list is Carol Hancock, Doug Roy and many others. Already onboard as a sponsor is the Moose Lodge…and everybody there is busy scratching for additional sponsors - not an easy task these days, especially in the Keys which are among the hardest hit areas in South Florida by this economy.

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These will essentially be "first cookoffs" for this group; but I can tell you that they are hard at work, and I have no doubt they will make them a success in the tradition of previous cookoffs in the Keys. I encourage everyone who can, to please step up and come support the events.

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As a matter of fact, if you're fed up with the "global warming" the country has experienced this winter, this makes for a great opportunity to get away and thaw in the Florida sun. Plus, you can even make it an 8 day three-fer qualifiers: St George Island Cookoff up in the Florida Panhandle the Saturday before; a leisurely trip down the state with all the attractions, and wind up in the wonderful Florida Keys…with two more shots at the World.

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By the way, the Islamorada area - Tavernier down to Islamorada - is our (Marshall and my) favorite section of the Keys. Very "Keys", yet with lots of fun stuff to do.

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As soon as the cookoffs are up on the ICS website, or any new information emerges, I'll put out another posting on Dick's Chili World.

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Looking forward to seeing a whole bunch of you there,

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Sergei Kowalchik

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