Jeanie Arnold, the winner of last weekend's chili cookoff hosted by KSTK. Arnold's Southwest Chicken Chili took first place in the contest, and also won in the "most original" category. Arnold won the cookoff in 2014, as well.
Radio station KSTK, hosted a chili cookoff last Saturday. The cookoff is an annual fundraiser for the radio station, according to June Leffler. It was hosted in the Wrangell High School Commons this year. Almost a dozen different chilis were entered into the contest, each with a different flavor and level of spiciness. The top three winners were selected, with the first place winner getting their name put on a crockpot trophy. This year's winner was Jeanie Arnold, who also won the cookoff in 2014. Her "Southwest Chicken Chili" was declared the best by a panel of six judges. Arnold's chili also won in the "most original" category. In second place was "Oh No We're Out of Bear Meat" by Steve Forrest, and in third place was "Chichagof Chili" by Barbara Crabtree. The hottest chili was made by Don Sherman, under the name "Netflix & Chili." Devyn Johnson's chili, "Game Changer," won the best name category.
After the judging was complete and the winners were announced, the public was invited to eat as much chili as they wanted for lunch. Besides chili, there was plenty of homemade coleslaw and cornbread, as well as fruit punch.
Community members could also shop at a rummage sale between eating bowls of chili. Lots of people had made donations to the radio station in the weeks prior to the sale, Leffler said. The rummage sale was a new idea, she added, they had done an auction at last year's chili cookoff.
"Keeleigh [Solverson] had the idea for a rummage sale, that was in her mind, but then all the Marie Kondo stuff happened and we were like 'Oh, we're going to jump on that," Leffler said.
Marie Kondo, for those unaware, is an author and "organizing consultant" who advocates tidiness and decluttering for a happier lifestyle. Her popularity, thanks in part to a recent Netflix series, has led many people to seek to declutter their homes and donate items they no longer need.
Leffler said, afterwards, that the cookoff raised $520 for the radio station, while the rummage sale brought in about $1,100. She added that leftover rummage is still available at the radio station all this week.
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