Chili for Charity by Chance Inc.

It started off as a group of local friends who wanted to make a difference in their community. It has grown to an organized nonprofit that has raised thousands for local charities.

Arnold’s own Chance Inc. has supported a variety of local families and charities.  In 2007, they raised over $1,000 to help Karen Mitchell participate at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. Other charities supported by their efforts include the Hospice of the Chesapeake, Maryland Therapeutic Riding, Chesapeake Bay Trust, and Toys for Tots.

The group held their first Chili Cook Off fundraiser at the Ulmstead Barn this weekend to start the year off right in their fundraising efforts. "We need to build up our reserve in order to be able to cover the operating expenses associated with holding larger fundraising events," said Chance Inc. board member Julie DeMar.

Seventeen participants brought in their prepared chili, each hoping to win not only a trophy, but bragging rights for the best chili in town. The event was open to the public and attendees paid a nominal entry fee for a chance to taste each of the delectable dishes.

As part of the judging system, each person was given three sets of bead necklaces.  The object was to go around to each of the chili stations, sample a bit and then decide who their three favorites were by leaving a set of their beads with the chef.

The top three chili chefs who had earned the most beads were then judged by guest celebrity judges René Hundemann of Deep Creek Restaurant and former Governor Bob Ehrlich campaign aides Paul Schurick and Bernie Marczyk. Marczyk said that not only is Schurick a foodie, but a great chef in his own right.

Competition was both fun and heated. Participants such as Jamie Nudge, a self proclaimed purveyor of peppered products and owner of Pepper Schlepper, grows and harvests his own peppers locally. Nudge's wife, Jane, also participated.  While they both submitted chili, the ingredients were very different. Jamie Nudge cooked up a red chili recipe with ground beef and kidney beans, while his wife created a white chili with pork.

Friends Sharon Harvey and Lizzy Brandenstein stood side by side vying for beads from the tasters. They also had a red and white chili competition going on between them - Harvey with a chicken and cannellini bean and Brandenstein with a sirloin and pinto bean chili.

“I will pretty much eat anything, beans, no beans, but I prefer one that isn’t sweet and when you use actual chili peppers,” commented Arnold resident Frank DeMarco.

While the chilis ranged from red to white, beans or no beans, meats including chicken, pork, beef, steak, and venison, and sweetly flavored to smoking hot, only three of the submissions could claim victory.

The People's Choice awards, determined by the total number of beads that been awarded from the tasters, were:

1st Place: Lizzy Brandenstein;

2nd Place: Billy DeMar; and

3rd Place: Donna Reilly.

The "People's Choice" first and second place prizes were both donated by Deep Creek Restaurant and included a bottle of wine for the second place winner and a gift certificate for the first place winner.

Celebrity Judges awards were:

1st Place: Donna Reilly;

2nd Place: Lizzy Brandenstein; and

3rd Place: Billy DeMar.

Each of the "Celebrity Judge" winners received a trophy made by Demar, a local artist.

Chance Inc. has yet to determine which charity, or charities, they will be supporting this year with fundraising efforts. They are still in the planning stages.