Chili event raises fund for students

Chefs cook up 20 varieties for education foundation’s feast in Bend

By [ mailto:pcliff@bendbulletin.com ] Patrick Cliff / The Bulletin
Published: January 24. 2011 4:00AM PST

People packed the gym at the Athletic Club of Bend on Sunday to taste 20 different versions of chili, all made by local chefs to benefit The Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools. Some people, after paying $10 for all-you-can-eat chili, were satisfied to taste just a few of the offerings. Not so for Bend residents Jace Johnson, 25, and Ben King, 23.

The two eaters planned to try every chili on offer, and both men were confident as they took a quick breather between samples.

“I’m going to conquer it,” said Johnson, as his friend nodded in support. “I’m feeling better than ever.”

Both men had already tried a wide selection of chili, with meats ranging from steelhead to pulled pork. The event was the second annual Chili Cook Off and Rail Jam fundraiser designed to provide activity scholarships for Bend-La Pine students.

Most of the recipes used were unique to the event, according to Cheri Helt, who was recently named as an interim member of the Bend-La Pine School Board. Helt is also a board member of the foundation and, with her husband, owns Zydeco Kitchen + Cocktails, which offered a chili at the event.

Helt helped create the event last year and said it came in response to the economic downturn.

“We never want kids to suffer for the economy,” she said.

Several restaurants donated the food and the time of their staff, and the club offered the gym for free for the fundraiser, Helt said.

Joolz, a downtown Bend restaurant, won the event last year for an elk

chili.

But the restaurant’s staff didn’t rest on that victory, changing its recipe this year and substituting beef for the elk, according to co-owner Julie Hamdan. Creating a chili for the event was a chance to let the restaurant staff have fun and help fund the scholarships, Hamdan said.

“We have all these young chefs, and we just let it play out,” she said.

Though the gym was crowded, the rail jam portion was struggling to get going. That had a lot to do with daytime temperatures reaching the mid-50s, according to Jeremy Nelson, of Skjersaa’s Ski & Snowboard, who was helping build the snow features.

Despite the difficulties, organizers expected the rail jam to happen.

The snow, which had to be trucked in from Mt. Bachelor ski area, was delivered to the club Saturday. The snow froze overnight, becoming sloppy ice by Sunday afternoon, Nelson said. That left a crew of four men smashing the ice with shovels in an attempt to smooth the run.

“It was like a little glacier,” Nelson said of the ramp, which was set up in the club’s courtyard.

Optimism was not lost, though. At one point, to keep the snow crew inspired, someone began playing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” over the outdoor speakers.

Patrick Cliff can be reached at 541-633-2161 or at pcliff@bendbulletin.com